Characterization of the fracture behaviour of X42 microalloyed pipeline steel

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the fracture of grade X42 microalloyed steel used as pipe material after tensile test at room temperature and impact tests at 0, −20 and −40°C, respectively. Design/methodology/approach – In the first stage of the study, X42 steels in the form of sheet and pipe materials were selected and etched samples were characterized using light microscope. In the second stage, mechanical properties of steels were obtained by microhardness measurements, static tensile and impact tests and all the broken surfaces were examined by scanning electron microscope to determine the fracture type as a function of both microstructure and loading. Findings – The examinations revealed that: first, the sheet material had a typical ferritic-pearlitic matrix, second, the transverse section of the sheet steel exhibited a matrix consisting of polygonal ferrite-aligned pearlite colonies and the longitudinal one had elongated ferrite phase and pearlite colonies in the direction of rolling, third, ferrite and pearlite distribution was different from the sheet material due to multiaxial deformation in the pipe material, fourth, tensile fracture surfaces of the steels had typical dimple fracture induced by microvoid coalescence, fifth, impact fracture surfaces of the steels changed as a function of the test temperature and cleavage fracture mode of ferritic-pearlitic matrix became more dominant as the temperature decreased, and sixth, grain morphology had an effect on the fracture behavior of the steels. Originality/value – The paper explains the fracture behaviour of X42 microalloyed pipeline steel and its fractographical analysis.