On the mechanistic basis of fatigue crack nucleation in Ni superalloy containing inclusions using high resolution electron backscatter diffraction

A 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 characterise 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.