Effects of Aged Conditions on the Fracture Surface Fractal Dimension and Mechanical Behavior of an Austenitic Stainless Steel

Abstract

<jats:p>There have been several attempts to find a relation between the fractal morphology of the fracture surfaces and the mechanical properties of engineering materials., although the current resuls are inconclusive. If there are correlations between the fractal dimension and such properties, this parameter could be very useful to predict them and to improve the resistance to fracture. The main part of the investigations concerned with the fractal geometry and fracture behavior concentrate on the relations between roughness and fracture toughness . In the present work, the effects of thermal aging at 850°C on the fracture topography developed during the rupture in tension at room temperature of a 304 type stainless steel and their relation with the strength and ductility, were studied using the fractal geometry approach.</jats:p>