Impact of a single‐side 100Cr6 clad layer on the tensile and fatigue properties of S550MC steel.

The production of newly developed hot‐rolled layered metal composites (LMC) leads to the availability of sheet materials with specifically adjustable, graded properties being cost‐effective and suitable for large‐scale production. As many of the envisaged applications of these LMC, e.g., clutch disc carriers, suffer from cyclic loading during service life, a fundamental knowledge of the fatigue behavior is required in order to ensure safe and reliable application of the components. Therefore, the present study focuses on the fatigue behavior of a hot‐rolled two‐layer LMC consisting of a S550MC substrate layer and a 100Cr6 clad layer. In order to investigate the influence of the clad layer, two conditions are directly compared, i.e., the two‐layer laminate cladded steel and the single‐layer substrate condition. Results presented by mechanical testing include hardness measurements and tensile tests as well as strain‐controlled low‐cycle fatigue and stress‐controlled high‐cycle fatigue tests. These results are discussed based on evolution of microstructure, residual stress, and defects, respectively, as elaborated by scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and fracture surface analysis. Highlights: The clad layer facilitates increased tensile strengths and reduced Lüders strain.At lower stress amplitudes, lifetime increases of up to 100% are observed.Due to layer‐wise residual stresses, lifetimes converge at high stress amplitudes.Fracture surfaces reveal the substrate as primary crack initiation zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]