Surface crack analysis of 8Cr4Mo4V steel based on Crystal/Phase microstructure model by grinding

Metal polycrystalline materials tend to be homogeneous and isotropic at the macroscopic level, which leads it difficult to visually characterize the sprouting and expansion of cracks by traditional grinding simulation. In this study, the Johnson–Cook constitutive model was used for the finite element method (FEM) based on grinding characteristics with a high strain rate and large plastic deformation. The models are focused on the actual microstructure distribution, one of them contains grains and grain boundaries, and another contains phase organization (martensite and acicular martensite) and carbides. The study pinpoints the changes in microstructure under different grinding parameters during the grinding process and the influences on the formation of microscopic cracks. Ultimately, it was found that the shedding of large primary carbide is a critical factor for inducing surface cracks. The uncoordinated deformation between brittle carbides with the other phases is the main cause of carbide shedding. Therefore, this article visualized shows the influence of grinding parameters on surface cracks from the perspective of microstructure modeling, which is of great significance in guiding practical processing.