Kasetsart University

213211: Mechanical Failure

Mechanical Failure Modes

Fracture

Fatigue

Creep

An oil tanker that fractured in a brittle manner by crack propagation around its girth.
Dr.Peerapong Triyacharoen

Department of Materials Engineering

144

Kasetsart University

213211: Mechanical Failure

Ductile vs. Brittle Fracture

Fracture behavior:

Very
Ductile

Modulate
Ductile

Brittle

Moderate

Small

Ductile fracture is
desirable!
Ductile:
warning before fracture
Brittle:
No warning

%RA or %EL: Large

Dr.Peerapong Triyacharoen

Department of Materials Engineering

145

Kasetsart University

213211: Mechanical Failure

Example: Failure of a pipe

Ductile failure:
--one piece
--large deformation

Brittle failure:
--many pieces
--small deformation

Dr.Peerapong Triyacharoen

Department of Materials Engineering

146

Kasetsart University

213211: Mechanical Failure

Moderately Ductile Fracture

necking

Resulting
fracture
surfaces

void
nucleation

void growth
and linkage

shearing
at surface

fracture

50 50
mmm

(steel)
Particles serve as
void nucleation
sites.
Dr.Peerapong Triyacharoen

100 m

Department of Materials Engineering

147

Kasetsart University

213211: Mechanical Failure

Brittle Fracture
Trangranular (between grains)

4 mm

1 mm
Dr.Peerapong Triyacharoen

304 S. Steel

Polypropylene

Intergranular (within grains)

160m

3m

Department of Materials Engineering

316 S. Steel

Al Oxide
148

Kasetsart University

213211: Mechanical Failure

Impact Testing

Dr.Peerapong Triyacharoen

Department of Materials Engineering

149

Kasetsart University

213211: Mechanical Failure

Temperature Dependence of Impact Energy

Brittle

More Ductile

Ductile to Brittle Transition Temperature

Dr.Peerapong Triyacharoen

Department of Materials Engineering

150

Kasetsart University

213211: Mechanical Failure

Design Strategy: Stay Above The DBTT!

Pre-WWII: The Titanic

WWII: Liberty ships

Problem: Used a type of steel with a DBTT ~ Room temp.

Dr.Peerapong Triyacharoen

Department of Materials Engineering

151

Kasetsart University

213211: Mechanical Failure

Fatigue
Fatigue = failure under cyclic stress.
specimen

compression on top

bearing

bearing

motor

counter

flex coupling
tension on bottom

Stress varies with time.

--key parameters are S and m

max

m
min

S
time

Key points: Fatigue...

--can cause part failure, even though max < c.
--causes ~ 90% of mechanical engineering failures.
Dr.Peerapong Triyacharoen

Department of Materials Engineering

152

Kasetsart University

213211: Mechanical Failure

Fatigue Design Parameter

Fatigue limit, Sfat:
--no fatigue if S < Sfat

S = stress amplitude
unsafe
Sfat
103

case for
steel (typ.)

safe
105
107
109
N = Cycles to failure

S = stress amplitude

Sometimes, the
fatigue limit is zero!

unsafe

case for
Al (typ.)

safe
103
Dr.Peerapong Triyacharoen

105
107
109
N = Cycles to failure

Department of Materials Engineering

153

Kasetsart University

213211: Mechanical Failure

Improving Fatigue Life

S = stress amplitude

1. Impose a compressive
surface stress

near zero or compressive m

moderate tensile m
larger tensile m

(to suppress surface

cracks from growing)

N = Cycles to failure

--Method 1: shot peening

shot

--Method 2: carburizing
C-rich gas

put
surface
into
compression

2. Remove stress
concentrators.
Dr.Peerapong Triyacharoen

bad

better

bad

better

Department of Materials Engineering

154

Kasetsart University

213211: Mechanical Failure

Creep
Occurs at elevated temperature, T > 0.4 Tmelt
Deformation changes with time.

strain,

INCREASING T

tertiary

t
primary

secondary

elastic

T < 0.4 Tm

0
Dr.Peerapong Triyacharoen

Department of Materials Engineering

time
155