On the Notch Effect in Low Temperature Carburized Stainless Steel under Fatigue

Abstract

The present paper describes the fatigue behaviour of carburized notched AISI 316 austenitic stainless steel specimens. Rotary four point bending fatigue tests have been performed using carburized smooth specimens with two different values of surface rugosity and notched specimen with two different stress concentration factors Kt, of 3.55 and 6.50 and the effects of carburizing on fatigue strength and notch sensitivity were discussed. Results show a general improvement of the fatigue life due to the treatment for all the series with an apparent notch sensitivity lower than one in the case of blunt notches due to secondary effects that were singled out.