A B S T R A C T Several models of fracture in ferritic steel consider matrix strain to be an indicator of the condition required for second-phase particle cracking (i.e. microcrack nucleation). Recent simulations predict that stress × strain (W ) is a better supported indicator. This paper examines the effect of replacing strain by W within the EOH fracture model. There is no improvement in the descriptions of fracture toughness and initiation site properties for eight different steels over a range of temperatures. The use of W , however, leads to the convergence of data from different steels, and permits estimates of the particle cracking criterion to be made from metallographic data, when suitable fractographic data are unavailable. Overall, experiment agrees with simulation in finding W a more appropriate parameter to use than strain alone. B = specimen thickness c = diameter of fracture-initiating particle parallel to crack growth direction X = distance increment in calculation step E m = Young's modulus of matrix E = E in plane stress and E (1−ν 2 ) in plane strain E p = Young's modulus of particle F = fraction of particles taking part in failure L = diameter of fracture-initiating particle normal to crack growth direction N a = number of particles per unit area P fx = cumulative probability of failure out to distance, X , from the pre-crack tip r = particle radius r 0 = minimum size of microcrack which will extend r ## = ##th percentile particle radius r max = maximum size of second-phase particle left uncracked after quenching from final heat treatment V actual = volume of particle nucleating fracture V ## = volume of particle with ##th percentile particle radius W = σ 11,matrix x ε total,matrix W min = minimum W required for particle cracking W Xc = W measured at X c X c = distance from pre-crack tip to fracture initiation site X p = distance from pre-crack tip to location of peak in tensile stress field ε min = minimum total matrix strain required for particle cracking