a b s t r a c tA dislocation-density based multiple-slip crystalline plasticity formulation, a dislocation-density grain boundary (GB) interaction scheme, and an overlapping fracture method were used to investigate crack nucleation and propagation in martensitic steel with retained austenite for both quasi-static and dynamic loading conditions. The formulation accounts for variant morphologies, orientation relationships, and retained austenite that are uniquely inherent to lath martensitic microstructures. The interrelated effects of dislocation-density evolution ahead of crack front and the variant distribution of martensitic blocks on crack nucleation and propagation are investigated. It is shown that dislocation-density generation ahead of crack front can induce dislocation-density accumulations and plastic deformation that can blunt crack propagation. These predictions indicate that variant distribution of martensitic blocks can be optimized to mitigate and potentially inhibit material failure.

A stress assisted hydrogen diffusion transport model, a dislocation-density-based multiple-slip crystalline plasticity formulation, and an overlapping fracture method were used to investigate hydrogen diffusion and embrittlement in lath martensitic steels with distributions of M 23 C 6 carbide precipitates. The formulation accounts for variant morphologies based on orientation relationships (ORs) that are uniquely inherent to lath martensitic microstructures. The interrelated effects of martensitic block and packet boundaries and carbide precipitates on hydrogen diffusion, hydrogen assisted crack nucleation and growth, are analyzed to characterize the competition between cleavage fracture and hydrogen diffusion assisted fracture along preferential microstructural fracture planes. Stresses along the three cleavage planes and the six hydrogen embrittlement fracture planes are monitored, such that crack nucleation and growth can nucleate along energetically favorable planes. High pressure gradients result in the accumulation of hydrogen, which embrittles martensite, and results in crack nucleation and growth along {110} planes. Cleavage fracture occurs along {100} planes when there is no significant hydrogen diffusion. The predictions indicate that hydrogen diffusion can

The competing microstructural failure mechanisms of transgranular (TG) and intergranular (IG) fracture, in martensitic steel bicrystals with coincident site lattice (CSL) boundaries of Σ3 and Σ17b, have been investigated, using a dislocation-density-based crystalline plasticity formulation and a recently developed overlapping fracture method. A dislocation-density grain boundary (GB) interaction scheme was coupled within a dislocation-density based crystal plasticity formulation to investigate how different types of CSL GBs affect dislocation-density evolution, plastic deformation, dislocation pileup formation, TG and IG fracture, and fracture toughness. The computational predictions indicate that the bicrystal, with a Σ3 boundary, transitioned from IG to TG fracture, with large dislocation density generation and plastic deformation on the TG fracture planes. Bicrystals with the Σ17b boundary failed due to intergranular fracture and rupture, with much lower, in comparison with the Σ3 boundary case, dislocation density generation and plastic deformation. These predictions, which are consistent with experimental observations, indicate that Σ3 boundary is resistant to IG fracture with a higher fracture toughness than the Σ17b boundary case. More significantly, the computational

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