The role of electric current in the formation of white-etching-cracks |
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| Authors: | P.-Y. Tung E. McEniry M. Herbig |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Microstructure Physics and Alloy Design, Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, Düsseldorf, Germany p.tung@mpie.de;3. Department of Computational Materials Design, Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, Düsseldorf, Germany;4. Department of Microstructure Physics and Alloy Design, Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, Düsseldorf, Germany |
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| Abstract: | ABSTRACT Material failure by white-etching-cracks (WECs) can cause enormous economic costs. The formation of WECs emerges from the decomposition of the original, usually cementite-containing, microstructure. As small amounts of electric current can trigger this failure mechanism, we investigate the contribution of electric current to cementite decomposition. We applied ～700 A/cm2 for two weeks at 60°C to a pearlitic Fe-0.74C (wt%) specimen. The comparison of the microstructure before and after showed no differences. Theoretical considerations support the conclusion that at this low temperature such electric current densities cannot directly cause cementite decomposition. Electric current could play an indirect role in the formation of WECs, however, by generating hydrogen from the lubricant which is known to accelerate WECs formation. |
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| Keywords: | Cementite decomposition electricity electromigration |
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