Fracture Prediction of Third Generation Advanced High Strength Steels Using Hosford-Coulomb Damage Model

The latest demands in reduction of emissions compel the automobile industry to lighten the structure of vehicles using third generation advanced high strength steels. Due to the novelty of these steels, there is a need to characterize its fracture behavior during the forming process. This paper presents a study of strain field, crack locus and instant of failure for 980 grade third generation advanced high strength steel using defined tests with two specimens. Numerical simulations and experiments have been performed to evaluate and to compare the obtained results for this steel. Numerical simulations with implemented Hosford-Coulomb damage model use the extended finite element method to predict the fracture occurrence. According to results, numerical simulation predicts crack locus similar to experimental tests. Failure of the material shows a high sensitivity to damage evolution law.