OBSERVATION OF FATIGUE CRACK PATHS IN NODULAR CAST IRON AND ADI MICROSTRUCTURES

When speaking about quality of construction materials, fatigue crack propagation resistance is one of the most important considered properties. That is essentially influenced by character of matrix. Here presented contribution deals with the fatigue crack propagation mode through the matrix of as-cast nodular cast iron (NCI) and austempered ductile iron (ADI), whereas influence of microstructure has been considered and discussed. Experimental materials used in presented contribution were pearlitc-ferritic NCI and heat treated ADI 800. Pearlitic-ferritic NCI was used as the base for ADI production. Experiments were performed on mini round compact tension (RCT) specimens using an Amsler vibrophore. Fatigue crack paths in both materials were investigated and compared. Light microscopy was used to analyze the microstructure, crack initiation and propagation within broken specimens. In both tested materials fatigue cracks always initiated at graphite-matrix interface, while graphite nodules remained generally unbroken, eventually only surface of nodules was damaged. Though, comparing two materials with different microstructures, the diversity of fatigue crack propagation modes at high deltaK and low deltaK was observed