Effects of microstructure on fatigue crack growth behavior in cold-rolled dual phase steels

Fatigue crack growth behaviors of cold-rolled dual phase steels with different microstructures were investigated at room temperature. The ferrite–martensite dual-phase microstructure was obtained by intercritical annealing. Fatigue crack growth (FCG) behaviors were described by both the Paris model and a new exponential model; fatigue fractography and surface morphology near the fracture were arrested by scanning electron microscopy (SEM); the relationship between macroscopic and microcosmic FCG rate was analyzed quantificationally. The results showed that both the models can be used to describe the fatigue crack growth rate of the samples rather well; fatigue striations and secondary cracks were observed in the fracture surface at stable expanding region (II), while the fracture at rapid expanding region (III) combined dimple and quasi-cleavage morphology; the roughness of fracture surface and the degree of secondary cracking increased with an increase in martensite content, leading to a higher threshold value. Moreover, the changes of microcosmic FCG rate were smoother than that of the macroscopic FCG rate.