An investigation on bending fatigue in a corrosive environment of dual-phase 1000 sheet steel RSW joints and damage model via experiment and numeric analysis

Abstract

Fatigue, corrosion, and fatigue damage models are best addressed to improve and understand the service performance of materials, particularly automotive steel. This study is an attempt to experimentally and finite element investigates plain bending fatigue performance and damage model of DP 1000 sheet steel resistance spot welding (RSW) joints in 3% NaCl aqueous corrosive treatment. RSW applications were carried out using different weld currents. The joint samples were then subjected to optical image analysis, tensile shear, and fatigue tests (3% NaCl-aqueous and normal atmosphere). A proper damage model of RSW junctions was developed and corrected by numeric analysis. Besides, RSW nugget formation, tensile shear, and plain bending fatigue tests were also applied. Consequence, fatigue behavior, tensile load carrying capacity, and effective fracture behavior of resistance spot welded joint specimens were evaluated. Results showed that a corrosive environment negatively affected fatigue performance. With the developed model, it was observed that the fatigue life of the samples decreased by 30–35% in the fatigue tests performed in the corrosive environment. Experimental and numerical analysis results of plain bending were compatible.