Fatigue resistance evaluation of high Mn-TWIP steel through damage mechanics: a new method based on stiffness evolution

The work presented here deals with the implementation of a new methodology that allows fast and reliable determination of the fatigue strength. It is based on monitoring the specimen stiffness changes at different stress levels, as an indicator of the evolution of fatigue damage. This new rapid fatigue test uses techniques available in many laboratories, as the DIC (Digital Image Correlation) technique and common extensometers. Moreover, the obtained data are easier to handle than infrared cameras or acoustic emission systems data, and the experimental procedure to determine the fatigue limit is more evident than in the self-heating method.

Experiments have been conducted in TWIP (Twinning Induced Plasticity) steel, a material used for lightweighting the structural parts of vehicles. With their excellent energy absorption capacity, TWIP steels can satisfy the part requirements in terms of crash performance, while their high tensile strength can deal with the cyclic loads acting on chassis parts. Therefore, many efforts focus on improving the fatigue strength of TWIP steels through pre-straining and/or surface treatments. However, finding the best way to improve the fatigue resistance requires time and resources that often hinder the development of the material. For this reason, a TWIP steel has been selected to check the new rapid fatigue test. The prediction made using the proposed approach is validated by comparison with conventional staircase results and fatigue crack growth standardised tests. The good agreement allows proposing the new method as a fast and efficient way to determine the fatigue resistance in metals.