Modeling of crack tip fields and fatigue crack growth in fcc crystals

Predicting the mechanical behavior of polycrystalline materials containing a crack under both monotonic and cyclic loading conditions is crucial for accurately assessing the integrity of engineering materials. This study focuses on the deformation characteristics of face-centered cubic (fcc) grains within the crack tip field and their significant role in governing the driving force for fatigue crack growth during cyclic loading. We employ a cyclic crystal plasticity finite element (CPFE) model to analyze the mechanical response of austenitic 316L stainless steel polycrystals by accounting for nonlinear kinematic hardening effects. Through CPFE simulations, we investigate the deformation fields in 316L grains at the crack tip, considering two different grain orientations under plane strain conditions. Our CPFE results under monotonic loading align consistently with previous theoretical and experimental findings, particularly in comparing CPFE-simulated and experimentally observed plastic sectors consisting of different slip traces on the specimen surface near the crack tip. Based on a critical plastic work criterion for crack advancement, cyclic CPFE simulations are used to determine the fatigue crack growth rate as a function of stress intensity factor range for the two crack tip grain orientations in stainless steel. The simulated Paris law exponent matches experimental values. Furthermore, we compare cyclic CPFE results with those from cyclic J2 plasticity finite element simulations. This study demonstrates a cyclic CPFE approach for determining crack tip fields, accounting for crystallographic effects on plastic deformation of crack tip grains. Our approach can be applied to effectively evaluate fatigue crack growth rates in fcc polycrystalline metals.