STRETCH ZONE, DUCTILITY AND TOUGHNESS STUDIES IN THE TRANSITION REGION OF 1045 STEEL

The variation of fracture toughness expressed by the J-integral, tensile and bulge ductility of 1045 steel which exhibits a transition from linear elastic behavior to elastic-plastic behavior, with temperature was investigated. The toughness study also included measurements of the stretch zone width from fractured surfaces to determine the process of crack blunting before the onset of crack growth. Three—point bending specimens were used for …