Influence of tempering temperature on low cycle fatigue of high strength steel

Abstract

In this study, the mechanical and low cycle fatigue properties for a heat-treatment steel subjected to quenching and tempering (QT) were evaluated. The steel had a modified chemical composition with respect to a conventional material and was subjected to tempering at various temperatures. It was shown that the material tempered at 250°C exhibited superior fatigue properties in the short life regions. Carbon atom clusters in concentration of 18 at% in martensite were observed using atom probe tomography (APT) for the steel tempered at 250°C. It is believed that these clusters contribute to the improvement of fatigue properties by hindering the motion of dislocations.