Swaging-Induced Fracture Features

Fracture is the ultimate step of any kind of continued deformation process undergone in a material. If this viewpoint is correct then it will be plausible to relate the geometric fracture surface appearances with the entire deformation path/history subjected to the material previously. The two-dimensional dimple geometry quantified from the open published tensile fractographs are investigated to predict the nature of variation in corresponding deformation and fracture properties of a Zircaloy-4 with systematic swaging and swaging + annealing treatments. The changes in microstructure and texture that led to non-identical two-dimensional ductile fracture characteristics/patterns at different initial feed rate during swaging and swaging + annealing treatments have been (quantitatively) assessed, compared and correlated with the respective mechanical responses of the material. Image texture analysis has also been carried out to understand the clear variation in fracture morphologies as a function of initial feed rate for both treatments.