• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.505-512
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• 1988

Since the propagation of a short fatigue crack is directly related to the large crack which causes the fracture of bulk specimen, the detailed study on the propagation of the short crack is essential to prevent the fatigue fracture. However, a number of recent studies have demonstrated that the short crack can grow at a low applied stress level which are predicted from the threshold condition of large crack. In present study, the threshold condition for the propagation of short fatigue crack is examined with respect to the microstructure and cyclic loading history. Specimens employed in this study were decarburized eutectoid steels which have various decarburized ferrite volume fraction. Rotating bending fatigue test was carried out on these specimens with the special emphasis on the '||'&'||'quot;critical non-propagating crack length.'||'&'||'quot; It is found that the reduction of the endurance limit of their particular microstructures can be due to the increase of the length of critical non-propagating crack, and the quantitative relationship between the threshold stress .DELTA. .sigma. $_{th}$ and the critical non-propagating crack length Lc can be written as .DELTA. .sigma. $_{th}$, Lc=C where m, C is constant. Further experiments were carried out on the effect of pearlitic structure and cyclic loading history on the length of critical non-propagating crack. It is shown that the length of critical non-propagating crack is closely related to both pearlite interlamellar spacing and cyclic loading history.ory. cyclic loading history.