Fatigue Strength of Maraging Steel at Elevated Temperatures

Rotating bending fatigue tests were carried out to investigate the effects of temperature on the fatigue strength and the fracture mechanism of an 18 % Ni maraging steel at room and elevated temperatures of 473K and 673K. Fatigue strength was higher at elevated temperatures than at room temperature, though static strength was decreased by softening at elevated temperature. There was no effect of temperature on crack morphology and fracture mechanism. On the other hand, during fatigue process at elevated temperature, the specimen was age-hardened and the specimen surface was oxide. That is, the increase in fatigue strength at elevated temperature was mainly caused by the increase in hardness due to age-hardening and suppression of a crack initiation due to surface oxidation.