Formation of fine granular area in a non-defect matrix of austenitic stainless steel during very high cycle fatigue

A fine granular area, FGA, is a typical phenomenon observed at the very high cycle fatigue fracture crack origin with a subsurface defect in the material. The FGA has been widely investigated, and different mechanisms have been proposed. In this paper, the formation of FGA in a non-defect matrix of one austenitic steel during very high cycle fatigue was studied using a progressive stepwise load-increasing method and electron scanning microscopy/electron channeling contrast imaging (ECCI) technique. A nano rough surface area or FGA at the fatigue crack origin has been observed in the subsurface matrix without any defect. It is a new phenomenon. A mechanism was proposed using the dislocation plasticity theory. The formation of FGA in a non-defect matrix is a localized plasticity exhausting process by strain localization, grain fragmentation, stress concentration and nano crack initiation and propagation along low-angle grain boundaries.