Effect of Density on Tensile Strength, Fracture Toughness, and Fatigue Crack Propagation Behaviour of Sintered Steel

The tensile strength, fatigue crack propagation behaviour, and fracture toughness of a low-alloy sin tered steel were determined for the porosity range 11–17%. Static and cyclic strength were found to increase with density in a non-linear fashion. The pores both exerted a stress-concentrating influence and reduced the load-bearing section. The micromechanism of failure was always ductile fracture in the necks between sintered steel particles. It was concluded that the stress state at the tips of cracks subjected to static or cyclic loading was closer to plane stress than to plane strain. Retardation of fatigue crack propagation appeared to occur due to the blunting action of the pores. The presence of a wear mechanism had little influence upon fatigue crack growth rates. A companion paper (following) attempts to model the static and cyclic behaviour of the steel, based on the known micromechanisms of failure. PM/0172