A dislocation density-based crystal plasticity damage model for rolling contact fatigue of gradient grained structures.

• A crystal plasticity damage model proposed for RCF of GGS. • FEM implementation to predict crack initiation and spalling lifetime. • Effect of the residual stress on RCF behavior is investigated. A dislocation density-based crystal plasticity damage model is presented for a numerical study on the spalling behavior of gradient grained structures under rolling contact fatigue loading. The topology of the gradient grained structure is constructed using Voronoi tessellations. The fatigue damage is coupled into a dislocation density-based crystal plasticity model where the evolutions of the dislocation density and fatigue damage are considered. The process of spalling is characterized by the evolution of fatigue damage in the polycrystalline structures. The evolutions of contact pressure, stresses, dislocation density, plastic strain, and fatigue damage of gradient grained structures with regard to rolling cycles are investigated. Moreover, the effect of the gradient form and residual stress on the rolling contact fatigue behavior is studied. The simulation results reveal that the gradient grained structures and the residual stress influence the rolling contact fatigue resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]