This is an authors' copy of a manuscript published in Acta Materialia Volume 97, 15 September 2015, Pages 367-379. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2015.06.035
AbstractA series of interrupted three-point bend low-cycle fatigue tests were carried out on a powder metallurgy FHG96 nickel superalloy sample containing non-metallic inclusions. High resolution electron backscatter diffraction (HR-EBSD) was used to characterize the distribution and evolution of geometrically necessary dislocation (GND) density, residual stress and total dislocation density near a non-metallic inclusion. A systematic study of room temperature cyclic deformation is presented in which slip localisation, cyclic hardening, ratcheting and stabilisation occur, through to crack formation and microstructurally-sensitive propagation. Particular focus is brought to bear at the inclusion-matrix interface. Complex inhomogeneous deformation structures were directly observed from the first few loading cycles, and these structures were found not to vary significantly with increasing number of cycles. A clear link was observed between crack nucleation site and microstructurally-sensitive growth path and the spatially-resolved sites of extreme values of residual stress and GND density.