The Influence of [Mn/S] Ratios on the Fracture Morphology of a Heavy-section Steel Castings at Elevated Temperature

Using the Gleeble test, the effects of [Mn/S] ratios and the presence of sulfides on the high-temperature fracture morphology of heavy-section steel castings were analysed via the observations of the microstructures. The specimens for which the [Mn/S] ratio was in the range of 60~80 showed a ductile fracture morphology with an area reduction of more than 60%, while some specimens with similar [Mn/S] ratios showed a brittle fracture morphology with an area reduction of 0.0% due to the liquidation of sulfides at the grain boundary. The fracture morphology was classified into three types in the Gleeble high-temperature tensile test specimens. The first type showed dimple formation at the grain boundary, the formation of globular MnS sulfides, and plastic deformation of sulfides at an elevated temperature, indicating a needle-point type of ductile fracture with area reductions of 96.0~97.8%. The sec-ond type was a knife-edge type brittle fracture with an area reduction of 0.0% due to the film-type liquidation of sulfides at the grain boundary, band-type liquidation, and the liquidation of a terraced nipple pattern. The third type was the typical ductile fracture with an area reduction of 31.3~81.0%, in accordance with the mixture of dimples with in the grains and terraced nipple pattern at the grain boundary.