MECHANISM OF FRACTURE

• Cracks are responsible from any type

of fracture. There are two main stages:

1) CRACK INITIATION
2) CRACK GROWTH
Stable
Unstable (Final fracture)
http://www.doitpoms.ac.uk/tlplib/brittle_fracture/bond_break.php
MetE303-4 Prof. Dr. Rıza Gürbüz, METU 1
• Crack Initiation • Crack Propagation

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 Propagation of a SCC crack
(Stable)

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 UNSTABLE CRACK PROPAGATION IN GLASS

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 WHERE DO CRACKS COME FROM?

May already exist (due to solidification, welding,

heat treatment, mechanical shaping,
assemblage etc.)
OR

May form later: Usually nucleate as a result of

plastic deformation at stress concentration
points (notch tips). Nucleation is due to the pile-
up of dislocations at an obstacle. Corrosion and
SCC may also form cracks.
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 CRACK FORMATION IN
METALS

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 Crack Nucleation by Dislocation Pile-up
σ
When many dislocations are contained in the
pile-up, the stress on the dislocation at the head
of the pile-up can approach the theoretical shear
stress of the crystal.
Slip
Plane
This high stress either can initiate yielding on
the other side of the barrier, or it can nucleate a
crack at the barrier. Obstacle

OBSTACLES for PILE-UP

• Grain Boundaries
• Second Phases
• Sessile Dislocations
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 Stresses at the tip of a dislocation Pile-Up
Very high forces act on the dislocations at
the head of the pile-up:
Stress at the head of pile up=Τsbn
Where n: number of dislocations in pile-up

D: Grain diameter≈ 2L
Ts: Resolved shear stress on
the slip lane

Tensile stress normal to line OP

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 Fracture Strength

– Larger the grain (High D) or more distant the

obstacles, higher the number of dislocations, n
in pile-up will be.
– Higher the “n”, easier the crack formation and
larger the crack be.
– Hence:
σF = σi + kf / √D

So, fine grained microstructure has higher FRACTURE

STRENGTH!
MetE303-4 Prof. Dr. Rıza Gürbüz, METU 9
 Other models for the nucleation of
microcracks

– Zener’s model
– Cottrell’s model
– Smith’s model for pearlite
– Intersection of twins
– Grain boundary sliding (creep)
– Slip line intrusions and extrusions (fatigue)

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 Zener’s model of microcrack formation at a pile-up of
edge dislocations as a result of coalescence of
dislocations into a wedge crack.

Dislocations at the pile up can be

considered to be a giant
dislocation with burgers vector nb

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Cottrell’s model of cleavage crack initiation in
BCC metals

Sessile: Can not move

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Smith’s model of microcrack formation in grain
boundary carbide film (steel)
Deformation on a slip band within the ferrite grain provides a
stress which may initiate a crack in a brittle grain boundary
carbide (Hypereutectoid steels)

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 Intergranular crack nucleation by grain
boundary sliding (creep)

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 Initiation of surface cracks via slip line extrusions and
intrusions in fatigue
(Back and forth deformation as a result of shear cycles)

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 Initiation of surface cracks via slip line extrusions and
intrusions in fatigue

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 MECHANISM OF BRITTLE FRACTURE IN
METALS

1. PILE-UP of dislocations at an obstacle

2. NUCLEATION OF CRACK ahead of the pile-up

3. GROWTH of microcrack to fracture

(by CLEAVAGE)

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 CLEAVAGE FRACTURE and RIVER
PATTERNS

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 CHEVRON MARKINGS

Chevron markings are

macro indicators of brittle
fracture. They point back to
the crack origin.

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 MECHANISM OF DUCTILE FRACTURE IN
METALS

1. PILE-UP of dislocations at particle-matrix interface to initiate

MICROCRACKS

2. NUCLEATION OF MICROVOIDS around second phase

particles

3. GROWTH and COALESCENCE of microvoids

(by SHEAR) forming dimples

DIMPLES

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 CUP –AND- CONE FRACTURE

Fracture
Origin

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PROCESS OF CUP-AND-CONE FRACTURE AT
THE NECK IN A DUCTILE MATERIAL

a) Formation of hydrostatic tensile stress at the neck (max. at the center)

b) Formation of fine voids
c) Coalescence of voids (growth of central crack)
d) Growth of crack along shear bands
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e) Cup and cone fracture Prof. Dr. Rıza Gürbüz, METU 22
 Dislocation pile-up causing the formation of
high stresses at particle-matrix interface

Particle

Slip Plane

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 Initiation of microcrack at particle-matrix
interface due to stresses at the pile-up

Particle

Slip Plane

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 Formation of a microvoid around the particle
by decohesion

Void

Particle

Slip Plane

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 Growth of microvoid by hydrostatic tensile stress
component of triaxial stress state at the neck

Void

Particle

Slip Plane
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 Coalescence of microvoids to form
dimples and free fracture surface

Void Void Void

Void

Particle 1 Particle 4
Particle 2
Particle 3

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 Ductile Fracture Surface

Second
Phase
Particles

Side-view of fracture surface Top-view

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 Tear dimples on crack surface
Slip bands can be seen on dimple surfaces

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 Second phase particles in dimples

Equiaxed dimples form in the center, where microvoids grow.

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 Dimples around MnS Inclusions in steel

MnS
Inclusions

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 Shear Dimples at Shear Lips

Direction of
fracture
propagation

Elongated dimples form on the shear lip pointing toward

the origin of failure, Prof. Dr. Rıza Gürbüz, METU
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 Ductility is the function of volume of second phase
particles (and also the shape of particles)

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 Think about these:

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 Mechanism of Ductile Fracture in
Pearlitic Steel

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 Crack propagation by ductile fracture.
Fracture is along second phase particles such as
inclusions, carbides, precipitates…

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 QUASI-CLEAVAGE FRACTURE : What does it
mean?

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 VERY SHARP CRACK (There is some plastic
deformation at the tip, blunting the crack)

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