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Abstract
An in situ fracture experiment was carried out in a scanning electron microscope to investigate plastic deformation and strain distribution in the process zone (PZ) located in the immediate vicinity of the crack tip in an Fe–3Si alloy (wt-%) under mixed mode loading conditions. It was observed that plastic deformation occurred by successive activation of a number of slip systems. The strain distribution and shape of the PZ were strongly dependent on the crystallographic orientation of the grain containing the crack tip. The distribution differed from that predicted using near tip blunting calculations and was best expressed by an exponential equation. Additional strain concentrations created by surface defects caused slight perturbations in the overall distribution. Crack propagation started along a coarse slip band which possessed the highest strain. It was found that the maximum strains in the PZ exceeded the uniaxial tensile fracture strain.
MST/1404