Microstructure and impact toughness evolution in high-strength anchor chain steel: A Jominy test-based investigation

Ensuring the impact toughness of anchor chains remains challenging due to inhomogeneities in microstructure and mechanical properties induced by variations in cooling rates during quenching. In this research, the evolution of microstructure and impact toughness at different distances from the quench...

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Main Authors: Penglong Zhu, Haitao Zhao, Zanyang Liu, Junheng Gao, Honghui Wu, Chaolei Zhang, Yuhe Huang, Jun Lu, Shuize Wang, Xinping Mao
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-06-01
Series:Materials & Design
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264127525005337
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author Penglong Zhu
Haitao Zhao
Zanyang Liu
Junheng Gao
Honghui Wu
Chaolei Zhang
Yuhe Huang
Jun Lu
Shuize Wang
Xinping Mao
author_facet Penglong Zhu
Haitao Zhao
Zanyang Liu
Junheng Gao
Honghui Wu
Chaolei Zhang
Yuhe Huang
Jun Lu
Shuize Wang
Xinping Mao
author_sort Penglong Zhu
collection DOAJ
description Ensuring the impact toughness of anchor chains remains challenging due to inhomogeneities in microstructure and mechanical properties induced by variations in cooling rates during quenching. In this research, the evolution of microstructure and impact toughness at different distances from the quenched end (dqe) of the Jominy test for a high-strength anchor chain steel were analysed though instrumented Charpy impact tests, microstructure characterization, phase transformation kinetics, and crystallographic analysis. Our results reveal that with the increase of dqe, the transformed microstructure gradually transits from full martensite (1.5 mm, dqe hereafter the same) to martensite dominant (9 mm) and bainite dominant (13–40 mm), accompanied by a monotonic decrease in Vickers hardness. The impact absorbed energy at 0℃ increases from 172.83 J (1.5 mm) to 215.24 J (9 mm) despite the reduced density of high angle grain boundary, due to the higher ductility at dqe of 9 mm enhancing both the crack initiation and propagation energy. Then the impact absorbed energy continuously decreases from 215.24 J (9 mm) to 124.97 J (40 mm), attributed to the higher ductile–brittle transition temperature for coarser microstructure at larger dqe, which increases the proportion of brittle fracture surface. The coarser microstructure at larger dqe can be explained by the severe variant selection during phase transformation.
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spelling doaj-art-655f5e4046164a50bb86ee5f7d0192fc2025-08-20T03:11:25ZengElsevierMaterials & Design0264-12752025-06-0125411411310.1016/j.matdes.2025.114113Microstructure and impact toughness evolution in high-strength anchor chain steel: A Jominy test-based investigationPenglong Zhu0Haitao Zhao1Zanyang Liu2Junheng Gao3Honghui Wu4Chaolei Zhang5Yuhe Huang6Jun Lu7Shuize Wang8Xinping Mao9State Key Laboratory of Advanced Metallurgy, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, PR China; Institute for Carbon Neutrality, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, PR China; Institute for Steel Sustainable Technology, Liaoning Academy of Materials, Shenyang 110004, PR ChinaInstitute for Carbon Neutrality, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, PR China; Institute for Steel Sustainable Technology, Liaoning Academy of Materials, Shenyang 110004, PR China; Corresponding authors at: Institute for Carbon Neutrality, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, PR China.Institute for Carbon Neutrality, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, PR ChinaInstitute for Carbon Neutrality, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, PR China; Institute for Steel Sustainable Technology, Liaoning Academy of Materials, Shenyang 110004, PR China; Corresponding authors at: Institute for Carbon Neutrality, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, PR China.Institute for Carbon Neutrality, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, PR China; Institute for Steel Sustainable Technology, Liaoning Academy of Materials, Shenyang 110004, PR ChinaInstitute for Carbon Neutrality, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, PR China; Institute for Steel Sustainable Technology, Liaoning Academy of Materials, Shenyang 110004, PR ChinaInstitute for Carbon Neutrality, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, PR China; Institute for Steel Sustainable Technology, Liaoning Academy of Materials, Shenyang 110004, PR ChinaInstitute for Carbon Neutrality, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, PR China; Institute for Steel Sustainable Technology, Liaoning Academy of Materials, Shenyang 110004, PR ChinaInstitute for Carbon Neutrality, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, PR China; Institute for Steel Sustainable Technology, Liaoning Academy of Materials, Shenyang 110004, PR China; Corresponding authors at: Institute for Carbon Neutrality, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, PR China.State Key Laboratory of Advanced Metallurgy, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, PR China; Institute for Carbon Neutrality, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, PR China; Institute for Steel Sustainable Technology, Liaoning Academy of Materials, Shenyang 110004, PR ChinaEnsuring the impact toughness of anchor chains remains challenging due to inhomogeneities in microstructure and mechanical properties induced by variations in cooling rates during quenching. In this research, the evolution of microstructure and impact toughness at different distances from the quenched end (dqe) of the Jominy test for a high-strength anchor chain steel were analysed though instrumented Charpy impact tests, microstructure characterization, phase transformation kinetics, and crystallographic analysis. Our results reveal that with the increase of dqe, the transformed microstructure gradually transits from full martensite (1.5 mm, dqe hereafter the same) to martensite dominant (9 mm) and bainite dominant (13–40 mm), accompanied by a monotonic decrease in Vickers hardness. The impact absorbed energy at 0℃ increases from 172.83 J (1.5 mm) to 215.24 J (9 mm) despite the reduced density of high angle grain boundary, due to the higher ductility at dqe of 9 mm enhancing both the crack initiation and propagation energy. Then the impact absorbed energy continuously decreases from 215.24 J (9 mm) to 124.97 J (40 mm), attributed to the higher ductile–brittle transition temperature for coarser microstructure at larger dqe, which increases the proportion of brittle fracture surface. The coarser microstructure at larger dqe can be explained by the severe variant selection during phase transformation.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264127525005337Anchor chain steelMicrostructureImpact toughnessJominy testVariant selection
spellingShingle Penglong Zhu
Haitao Zhao
Zanyang Liu
Junheng Gao
Honghui Wu
Chaolei Zhang
Yuhe Huang
Jun Lu
Shuize Wang
Xinping Mao
Microstructure and impact toughness evolution in high-strength anchor chain steel: A Jominy test-based investigation
Materials & Design
Anchor chain steel
Microstructure
Impact toughness
Jominy test
Variant selection
title Microstructure and impact toughness evolution in high-strength anchor chain steel: A Jominy test-based investigation
title_full Microstructure and impact toughness evolution in high-strength anchor chain steel: A Jominy test-based investigation
title_fullStr Microstructure and impact toughness evolution in high-strength anchor chain steel: A Jominy test-based investigation
title_full_unstemmed Microstructure and impact toughness evolution in high-strength anchor chain steel: A Jominy test-based investigation
title_short Microstructure and impact toughness evolution in high-strength anchor chain steel: A Jominy test-based investigation
title_sort microstructure and impact toughness evolution in high strength anchor chain steel a jominy test based investigation
topic Anchor chain steel
Microstructure
Impact toughness
Jominy test
Variant selection
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264127525005337
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