Int. J. Fatigue Vol. IS, No.

S, pp 529 533, 199+

('opyright (~ 1996 Published by Elsevier Science I.imitcd
Prinlcd in Great Britain. All rights reserved
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ELSEVIER

PIh 0142-1123(96)00042-4

Fatigue life studies in carbon dual-phase

steels
T.M. Hashimoto and M.S. Pereira
Department of Materials and Technology, UNESP, Av. Ariberto Pereira da Cunha,
333, 12.500-000 Guaratinguet& SP, Brazil
(Received 2 November 1995; revised 9 May 1996)
An investigation has been conducted to examine the morphological influence on fatigue life of low
carbon steel with dual phase microstructure. The results showed that dual-phase microstructure, composed
by fen'ite and martensite had superior symmetrical bending fatigue strength when compared with ferrite pearlite steel. Through those tests, evidences of different mechanisms were verified (such as ferrite
cyclic hardening, slip band formation and beginning of crack nucleation and propagation). Based on the
fatigue tests results, various mechanisms stages were discussed associated with different microstructure
morphology. Copyright 1996 Published by Elsevier Science Limited
(Keywords: dual phase steel; fatigue; microstructure)

760C, or 800C lot 40 rain and then quenched in ice

cooled water. These are designated as steels TS-720,
TS-760, and TS-800, respectively. Another class of
dual phase microstructure was obtained by reheating
the specimen at 950C for 40 rain, cooled until intercritical temperatures of 720C, 760C, or 800C, held
for 40 min and then quenched in ice cooled water.
These were designated steels TD-720. TD-760, and
TD-800, respectively.
Specimens for the microstructural analysis were polished and etched with 2 ~ Nital solution. The microstructures were examined by optical microscopy including
determination
of
volume
fractions
and
microhardness measurements of phases.
The volumetric fractions were determined by point
counting technique and Vickers microhardness was
measured using a 9.8 x 10 2 N load. The point counting
technique consists of an application of a points grid
above the micrography and proceeds the pointing counting that incise over the interest phase. The average

The increasing demand for the improved quality metallic materials to meet the modern technological
requirements has led researchers to investigate their
processing methods in order to modify the microstructure responsible for the properties of the material. A
recently developed class of steels known as dual phase
steels are characterized by a microstructure consisting
basically of a ductile ferrite phase and high strength
reinforcing martensite phase, low yield stress, superior
strain hardening rate, high tensile strength, good ductility, and good formability. ~ 4 In spite of these characteristics of combining antagonistic properties like
strength and ductility, the development of dual phase
steels has been received attention only in the two last
decades which explain the lack of information about
their mechanical behavior, especially concerning
fatigue behavior: s Therefore, the aim of the present
work is to sludy the fatigue behavior of dual phase
low carbon steels with a special emphasis on the
fatigue mechanisms stages, plastic strain, crack
nucleation, and propagation.
MATERIALS AND EXPERIMENTAL
PROCEDU RES
The material used in this investigation was received as
3 mm thick plain carbon sheet steel with the following
chemical composition in weight: 0.11% C; 0.39% Mn;
0.14% Si; 0.01% P: 0.01% S, 0.02% A1; 0.02% Cu.
All specimens were normalized at 950C for 60 rain
and separated in lots. A group of these specimens was
retained and designated as steel N. One class of dual
phase microstructure was obtained by the reheating of
the specimens at intercritical temperatures of 720C,

Figure I

529

Rttigue leMs speCilllCll

dllllCllSJons

ill n111~

T.M. Hashimoto and M.S. Pereira

530

(a)

(b)

(c)

Figure 2 Optical micrographs: (a) TS-760 200 x: (b) TD-760--200 x: (c) ferrite-pcarlitc 200

between the lattice points number and the grid total

points number provides the volumetric fraction. The
lattice and magnification choice occur so that one point
is situated in each colony of interest.
The martensite connectivity, a parameter that signifies
the second phase contraction intensity, was evaluated by
the average between the ferrite-martensite contour numbers per unit length and the ferrite-martensite plus ferriteferrite contours numbers per unit length, expressed as
percentages. The martensite carbon content was calculated
using the Speich and Miller equation. 2
All tests were carried out at room temperature both
in normalized and dual-phase microstructure conditions.
Fatigue tests in symmetrical bending were done at
2000 cpm in all specimens as shown in Figure 1.

In order to check the cyclic hardening phases occurrence, particularly of one ferrite phase, and slip bands
development were realized fatigue tests in specimens
with a surface polished and slightly etched by nital
2~, for each kind of dual-phase microstructure. Tile
same fatigue tests equipment was used with a low
loading level of 392 MPa, that corresponds closely to
0.9 of yield point, and with high loading level of 490
MPa, that corresponds closely to 1.1 of yield point.
The tests were stopped periodically to permit the phase
microhardness measurements and also examination of
the polished surface.
To observe the microstructure features related to the
fatigue microcracks, a nucleation scanning electronic
microscope was used.

Fatigue life studies in carbon dual-phase steels

Table l

531

Microstructural parameters and tensile properties of dual-phase steels and ferrite-pearlite steel
N

TS-720

TS-760

TS-800

TD-720

TI)-760

TD-80(/

133

23
734
173
53
0.49

37
592
171
58
0.30

47
483
171
63
0.24

22
729
189
44
(t.54

36
594
It~.!
50
IL33

47
478
1~)6
52
0.20

340
390
44
37
46

408
568
17
14
33

410
603
17
15
35

416
632
19
16
35

430
641
19
16
35

443
667
20
17
37

453
7~1
23
20
38

Microstructurul parameters
Martensite volumetric fraction (%)
Martensite microhardness (HV)
Ferrite microhardness (HV)
Martensite connectivity
Carbon content martensite (%)

Tensile properlie~
Yield stress IMPa)
Tensile strength fMPa)
Total elongation (9/)
Uniform elongation t~7~)
Area reduction ('4)

Figure 3

Experimental fatigue curves: TS, TD, and N conditions

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The class of dual-phase microstructure TS was composed by the martensite phase involving ferrite islands.
Otherwise in a TD situation the microstructure was
martensite reinforcing the ferrite matrix. Figure 2
shows a typical optical micrograph of TS-760 and TD760 dual-phase conditions and ferrite-pearlite steel.
The other dual-phase microstructures were similar
with more or less martensite contents. The martensite
connectivity levels were higher in TS conditions where
the ferrite hardness was smaller. These microstructural
differences are derived from different heat treatments.
TS treatment starts with an initial microstructure composed of ferrite and pearlite. Heating until the intercritical temperature (ferrite plus austenite region) nucleates
the austenite in the ferrite grains boundaries. In the
equilibrium the microstructure is composed by austenite
grains surrounding the fewite grains. After quenching
Table 2

Percentage increase of fatigue life for three load levels

Load
levels
(MPa)
490
441
392

1.00
1.00
1.00

] S 720 TS-760

TS-800 TD-720

TD-760 TD-800

1.64
1.72
1.80

2,97
3,17
3.38

4.04
4.46
6.18

2.18
2.03
2.36

3.34
3.64
4.65

5.04
5.36
8.29

Figure 4

Ferrite cyclic hardening for loading levels ol 392 MPa

the austenite is transformed in marlensite resulting in

a microstructure composed of martensite surrounding
ferrite grains.
In one TD condition the steel is cooled from the
austenite region until the intercritical temperature
(ferrite plus austenite region). The ferrite phase is
nucleated in the austenite grains boundaries. With the
quenching the austenite is transformed in martensite
resulting in a microstructure composed by ferrite grains
surrounding the martensite islands.
Microstructural parameters and tensile properties of
dual-phase and ferrite-pearlite steels are compared in
Table 1. Microhardness values of ferrite in dual phase
steels are found to be significantly higher than those
in an annealed condition.
The volume fraction, the microhardness variations
as well as the carbon content of martensite are in
conformity with the results of other researchers in
similar steels. 2 The difference of monotonic properties
obtained in this work from that obtained by' Suzuki
and McEvily 4 is due to the difference in martensite
connectivity.
Fatigue curves are shown in Fi,~ure 3 for the differ-

532

T.M. Hashimoto and M.S. Pereira

(a)

(b)

Figure5 Fatigue microcracks nucleation: (a) in the grain boundaries by coalescence of voids; (b) arised in slip bands
ent microstructural conditions of steel and strength
levels, corresponding at 104-10 ~ cycles.
Fatigue life is higher in dual phase steels than in
the ferrite-pearlite steel. This can be attributed to a
strengthening due to the martensite. Both TS and TD
dual phase conditions presented an increasing fatigue
life with an increasing intercritical temperature in conformity with monotonic properties. The grain size of
the TD condition is larger than that of TS condition
in function of applied heat treatment type. Despite this,
the yield strength, tensile strength and fatigue life of
TD are better, showing the ferrite-martensite interaction effects on grain size effects.
Percentage increase of fatigue life in dual phase
condition compared with the ferrite-pearlite steel is
summarized in Table 2 for the two load levels. This
increase varied from 64% to 404% at high load level
fatigue tests and from 80% to 729% at low load level
fatigue tests.
Experiments involving microhardness and superficial
analysis showed that, at selected stress amplitude, strain

hardening develops at the ferrite in the fatigue specimens. The results showed that while the martensite
microhardness was unchangeable in all conditions, the
ferrite microhardness changed notably with the cyclic
deformation. This variation consisted in a last growth
of ferrite microhardness during the first cycles of loading, reaching a maximum, followed by a softening,
returning to initial levels. Figure 4 shows a typical
curve, ferrite microhardness vs cycles numbers for
loading levels of 392 MPa. The curves were similar
for all microstructure conditions.
Slip bands then appear to be located in the ferrite,
next to the ferrite-martensite interlace in which the
hardness is greater and also the dislocations density.
Slip bands and cracks developed earlier in the fatigue
specimen TS than in the specimen TD, but the propagation stage is later in TD than in TS, resulting in a
higher fatigue life. The crack propagation stage represents about 50% of fatigue life in the TD specimen
and about 40% in the TS specimen.
The microcracks nucleation stage was analyzed in a

Fatigue life studies in carbon dual-phase steels

scanning electronic microscope (SEM) on the filtigtte
surface after the specimen rupture. It was shown the
microcracks development lined up to the slip bands and
in the grain boundaries. The microcracks nucleatkm in
the boundaries occurred by the mechanisms of
nucleation and coalescence of voids as in Figure 5(o).
Fi,g,re 5(b) al'~o shows the microcrack nucleation arose
in slip bands. These mechanisms are similar in both
kinds of dual-phase microstructures. However. the
microstructure composed by ferrite surrounding martensite (TS) dela\ed, all the fatigue process steps, reaching
a fatigue life longer than martensite surrounding ferrite
microstructure (TD).
CONCLtlSIONS
The present study confirms that the ferrite-martensite
interaction is fundamental in dual-phase steels, since
these microstructures showed fatigue behavior signilicantly better than the ferrite-pearlite steel. In view of
the foregoing results the following mechanism can be
suggested to describe fatigue behavior. TS and +I'D
conditions have high densities of dislocations at the
ferritc-martensite interface and the distribution of dislocations in the ferrite vary from one microstructure to
another. Slip bands and cracks form first in the ferritemartensite interface at which the density is of greater

533

dish)cations. They appear earlier in thc martensitc

involving ferrite microstructure d+tan m the ferritc
involving martensite microstructure. Fherelk)re, the
morphoh)gy of the dual phase microstructurc is thoughl
to be responsible for the difference in fatigue properties. Two i l l e c h a n i s m s o f l l l i C r o c r a c k s n u c l e a l i o n w e r e
predominant: voids coalescence in grain botmdarics
and microcracks lined up to slip bands in ferritc grains.
ACKNOWI ,EDGEMENT
The attthors wottld like to ackmw,ledge ('NPq
support of this work l h r o t l . ~ h :.t r c , , e a r c h c o t l l l a C l
.~0.~77()/g6- 4 ).

for
t No.

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