Numerical Study about the Influence of Superimposed Hydrostatic Pressure on Shear Damage Mechanism in Sheet Metals

It is generally accepted that the superimposed hydrostatic pressure increases fracture strain in sheet metal and mode of fracture changes with applying pressure. Void growth is delayed or completely eliminated under pressure and the shear damage mechanism becomes the dominant mode of fracture. In this study, the effect of superimposed hydrostatic pressure on the ductility of sheet metal under tension is investigated using the finite element (FE) method employing the modified Gurson–Tvergaard–Needleman (GTN) model. The shear damage mechanism is considered as an increment in the total void volume fraction and the model is implemented using the VUMAT subroutine in the ABAQUS/Explicit. It is shown that ductility and fracture strain increase significantly by imposing hydrostatic pressure as it suppresses the damage mechanisms of microvoid growth and shear damage. When hydrostatic pressure is applied, it is observed that although the shear damage mechanism is delayed, the shear damage mechanism is dominant over the growth of microvoids. These numerical findings are consistent with those experimental results published in the previous studies about the effect of superimposed hydrostatic pressure on fracture strain. The numerical results clearly show that the dominant mode of failure changes from microvoid growth to shear damage under pressure. Numerical studies in the literature explain the effect of pressure on fracture strain using the conventional GTN model available in the ABAQUS material behavior library when the mode of fracture does not change. However, in this study, the shear modified GTN model is used to understand the effect of pressure on the shear damage mechanism as one of the individual void volume fraction increments and change in mode of fracture is explained numerically.

Evaluation of impact ductile fracture behaviour of low carbon austenitic stainless steel SUS304L using damage mechanics model

To clarify the applicability of the Gurson-Tvergaard-Needleman (GTN) model for impact ductile fracture behaviour, SHB test was reproduced by finite element analysis (FEA). The strain-rate dependence of the strength for austenitic stainless steel JIS SUS304L was obtained by tensile tests at quasi-static strain rate and impact strain rate. The CowperSymonds power law, which takes into the strain-rate dependence of strength, and the GTN model implemented in the commercial FEA code were used to simulate for impact ductile-fracture behaviour. GTN model parameters were determined by minimizing the difference between the simulated and measured stress-strain curve using response surface method. SHB test was simulated using GTN model obtained from quasi-static tensile test result. Simulation results did not occur the necking and fracture on the specimen. The fracture surfaces were observed by SEM micrograph. The appearance of ductile fracture since dimples are observed, regardless of the strain rate. It is necessary to adjust the parameter to accelerate the nucleation of the void. By identifying the GTN parameters in consideration of the strain rate dependence including impact strain rate. It would be possible to improve the simulation accuracy of impact ductile fracture behaviour.