Fracture of high-nitrogen 05Kh20G10N3AMF steel during impact loading

Specimens with V- and U-shaped notches made of austenitic high-nitrogen corrosion-resistant 05Kh20G10N3AMF steel are subjected to impact tests in the temperature range from +20 to −196°C, and stress-strain diagrams are recorded. The test data are used to estimate impact toughness KCV and KCU, dynamic fracture toughness Jid at the stage of crack nucleation, and crack propagation energy Ap. The microrelief of the fracture surfaces is studied. As compared to forging, quenching from 1100°C is found to increase the impact toughness and the dynamic cracking resistance of the steel during impact loading and to decrease the ductile-brittle transition temperature. The steel is shown to exhibit the cold brittleness behavior characteristic of bcc materials. A model is proposed for the formation of cleavage facets in austenitic steels. It is based on easy slip along lattice planes under the low shear stress at a notch tip and the development of fracture at a stress lower than the yield strength of the material.