Low cycle fatigue behavior of high strength gun steels

The low cycle fatigue (LCF) behavior of two high strength steels, with nominal chemical compositions (mass fraction, %) of 0.40C-1.5Cr-3Ni-0.4Mo-0.2V (PCrNi3MoV) and 0.25C-3Cr-3Mo-0.8Ni-0.1Nb (25Cr3Mo3NiNb), was investigated by using the smooth bar specimens subjected to strained-controlled push-pull loading. It is found that both steels show cyclic softening, but 25Cr3Mo3NiNb steel has a lower tendency to cyclic softening. 25Cr3Mo3NiNb steel has higher fatigue ductility, and its transition fatigue life is almost three times that of PCrNi3MoV. 25Cr3Mo3NiNb steel also shows higher LCF life either at a given total strain amplitude above 0.5% or at any given plastic strain amplitude, despite its lower monotonic tensile strength than that of PCrNi3MoV. It also means that 25Cr3Mo3NiNb steel can endure higher total strain amplitude and plastic strain amplitude at a given number of reversals to failure within 10(4). 25Cr3Mo3NiNb steel is expected to be a good gun steel with high LCF properties because only several thousand firings are required for gun barrel in most cases.