Simulation of ductile behaviour of 20MnMoNi55 steel using unsaturated Gfr ′ values for short crack growth estimated by introduction of correction factor to critical fracture energy, Gfr

Marie and Chapuliot proposed a new fracture parameter, critical fracture energy, G_fr, to characterise stable crack growth. The idea of critical fracture energy was re-investigated and it was found that the critical fracture energy is not a single valued parameter, when estimated for short crack growth. It was claimed that the values of G_fr increases and then saturates to a single value when a large crack growth is reached. In the present work, it is found that the saturated value of G_fr is the critical fracture energy, G_fr and is a material property. However, the increasing unsaturated values of G_fr obtained from ductile stretch is not a material property. Therefore, an attempt is made to introduce a correction factor to this saturated value of G_fr. The correction factor is found to be a function of saturated value of G_fr (material property) CTOD and crack growth. The values of increasing G_fr obtained, using this correction factor is then used to predict the load versus load line displacement curve which matches well with experimental load versus load line displacement curve. The work is carried out for different a/W ratios and for both half CT and full CT.