Materials Research.

2010; 13(4): 445-455 © 2010

Influence of Phosphorus Content and Quenching/Tempering Temperatures on

Fracture Toughness and Fatigue Life of SAE 5160 Steel

Danilo Borges Villarino de Castro*, Jaime Milan Ventura, Cassius Olivio Figueiredo Terra Ruckert,

Dirceu Spinelli, Waldek Wladimir Bose Filho

Department of Materials, Aeronautics and Automotive Engineering,

Engineering School of São Carlos, University of São Paulo (SMM-EESC-USP),
Av. Trabalhador São-Carlense, 400, Parque Arnold Schmidt,
CEP 13566-590, São Carlos, SP, Brazil

Received: May 18, 2010; Revised: November 30, 2010

This study investigates the influence of quenching/tempering temperatures on the fracture toughness and
fatigue life of SAE 5160 steel, considering different phosphorus contents. Quenching and tempering treatments
were applied to samples removed from different bars of commercial SAE 5160 steel with different P content.
Three different austenitizing temperatures for quenching: 850, 900 and 1000 °C and a constant holding time of
15 minutes were used. The oil temperature for quenching was kept at 66 °C and the tempering conditions were
470, 500 and 530 °C with the necessary time for a final hardness of 45 ± 3 HRC. Therefore, the heat treatments
cycles were applied to specimens containing low (0.012 wt. (%)), medium (0.017 wt. (%)) and high (above
0.025 wt. (%)) phosphorus contents, in order to observe the effects of this element on the susceptibility of these
steels to enhance quench and tempering embrittlements. The Charpy tests results showed that the phosphorus
content analyzed in this work has caused embrittlement, even in the bars with the lowest P content, leading to
intergranular fracture. However, if the nucleation life is taken into consideration, this embrittlement has no effect
on the nucleation fatigue life of the component.

Keywords: 5160 steel, phosphorus, austenitizing, tempering

1. Introduction
It was observed that in the SAE 5160 steel steels used to make decomposition increases gradually. Thus, the minimum toughness
springs, the P content may ranges from 0.010 to 0.025 wt. (%). observed may be referred to tempered martensite embrittlement
Manufacturers consider that this concentration does not affect the (TME), which may also be identified as “irreversible embrittlement”5,
impact and the fatigue performance of this component, which is highly “one-step tempering embrittlement”2 or even as “embrittlement at
requested in the automotive industry1. By knowing the negative effects 350 °C”6. In the case of high-strength steels, TME is characterized
of P, this study aims to bring more light in the influence of P content, by a significant drop in the impact toughness values in temperatures
considering the regular alloying limits content found in the SAE between 200-370 °C[2]. Researchers have showed that as larger is
5160 steel bars, on both: the impact toughness and on the fatigue life. the drop in impact toughness value (V-notch Charpy impact) in this
It has been known that low-carbon alloy and plain-carbon steels interval of temperature, higher is the TME embrittlement severity.
are susceptible to intergranular fracture along the prior austenite TME occurs in a tempering interval where the ε-carbides turn into
grain boundaries, depending on their chemical compositions and cementite (Fe3C) and it mainly takes place in tempered martensitic
heat treatment. In 1995 Krauss found a ductile fracture transition microstructure. However, it is known that the same is likely to occur
for intergranular fracture for steels with more than 0.5 wt. (%) in steels with a bainite microstructure6.
carbon in low-temperature tempered martensite steels2. Steels with Another type of embrittlement is the tempering embrittlement
higher C content submitted to tensile or bending stresses are highly (TE), which is a metallurgical problem found in alloy steels containing
susceptible to intergranular embrittlement phenomenon under as- certain impurities, such as phosphorus (P), tin (Sn), antimony
quenched and low-temperature tempered conditions. As tempering (Sb), and arsenic (As)7. These elements cause embrittlement in the
does not promote intergranular fracture, i.e., this embrittlement mentioned steel, tempered in the temperature range of 350-570 °C,
phenomenon can occur during the austenitizing or quenching process, or during the low cooling rate during quenching in this temperature
it is called quench embrittlement (QE)3. The segregation of atoms of range. The embrittlement degree of steels depends on the impurity
P to the prior austenite grain boundaries (a factor already known in degree and the time in which it is kept in this temperature range.
several processes of intergranular embrittlement) and the formation The impurities migrate to the grain boundaries during tempering
of cementite (Fe3C) around prior austenite grains are noticeable period in the TE range. Relatively small amounts of these elements,
characteristics of QE4. as lower as 100 ppm or less have been reported as the cause for TE2.
The literature has a tendency towards the basic supposition that Other elements are also cited as embrittling agents of TE: silicon
the impact toughness of hardened steels increases as the tempering (Si), germanium (Ge), selenium (Se), tellurium (Te) and bismuth
temperature increases, while, at the same time, the martensite (Bi). Manganese (Mn) content may cause both, TME and TE, and
*e-mail: danilobvc@yahoo.com.br
446 Castro et al. Materials Research

only carbon steels containing less than 0.3% Mn are not considered
susceptible to these embrittlements. Ni-Cr steels are prone to TE, but
the addition of molybdenum (Mo) in amounts of until 0.5% reduces
its susceptibility to TE, therefore Mo becomes an important alloy
element added to steels to minimize the chances of TE occurrence2.
The TE phenomenon can also be named “reversible embrittlement”
and “two-step embrittlement”6.
The map in Figure 1 defines the regions of intergranular and
transgranular fractures, according to C and P contents for martensitic
steels tempered at low temperatures, showing that the C content
necessary to cause intergranular fracture, decreases as the P content
increases8. The effect of the P content, has been shown as a result of
some research that prove that the P diminish the C solubility in the
previous austenite, promoting in this way, the cementite formation
at the prior austenite grain boundaries.
The fact that QE being uniformly developed in steels, even if they
present low P contents (lower than 0.010 wt. (%)), the rule states that
the carbides formation in the grains boundaries carbides during QE,
Figure 1. Fracture mode due to P and C contents for martensite tempered at
is intrinsic to this phenomenon9. low temperatures8.
Hyde10 showed that the embrittlement of quenched and tempered
steels may lead to a reduction in the fatigue and endurance limits
due to the segregation of P and/or cementite formation in the prior
austenite grains boundaries. It has been observed that in superficially
hardened steels susceptible to intergranular fracture, which is the case
of carburized steels, the flexural fatigue may lead to crack nucleation,
with size varying from two to four grains in depth, which grows
steadily in an elliptical way until the critical size be reached and the
final fracture occurs instantaneously. In these cases, the nucleation
was correlated to the cementite formation at the prior austenite grains
boundaries, leading to a reduction in the fatigue life by reducing
the nucleation stage. Figure 2 illustrate this phenomenon, where a
small intergranular fracture zone occurred during the nucleation of
a fatigue crack. By analyzing two cemented steels, whose carbon
content in the surface was about 1 wt. (%) and P contents were
0.017 and 0.031 wt. (%). Hyde observed that the fatigue strength
had been changed, so the embrittlement affected more significantly
the fatigue limit (Figure 3).
Figure 2. Location of the intergranular initiation of a fatigue fracture surface
The quenching of high-strength steels to obtain harder martensitic
of a specimen of SAE 4320 carburized steel10.
structures is generally expected for high cycle fatigue regime and
high wear performance. Nevertheless, this process can introduce
microcracking and/or promote intergranular cracking nucleation
at the grain boundaries10-12. In a brittle material, the strength of the
grains is usually weaker than its interface, therefore cracks nucleate
in transgranular way. Even so, with increasing hardening, the strength
in the interior of a grain, usually becomes higher than at the interface
(boundary), nucleating cracks intergranularly. Corresponding to this
mechanism is the intergranular cracking by fatigue in low-carbon
martensitic steels, where the proeutectoid ferrite precipitates at the
prior austenite grains boundaries, weakening them13. In the case of
carburized high-resistance steels, a flaw may occur intergranularly
at the prior austenite grains boundaries, depending on the severity
of the embrittlement14.

2. Experimental
2.1.Material
The material investigated in the present work was a SAE 5160 Figure 3. Comparison of maximum stress versus number of cycles for steels
steel, with four different P content and provided as laminated bars with different phosphorus contents10.
with 70 × 10 mm2 thickness and 1000 mm length. Its chemical
composition is presented in Table 1.
specimens were removed for hardness, impact toughness and fatigue
2.2. Heat treatments (S-N) tests. These bars were gradually heated in a continuous
Figure 4 presents a schematic flowchart indicating the heating two‑heating zone furnace. The soaking time at the second zone was
treatments performed in the SAE 5160 steel bars, from which 15 minutes. All bars, after austenitizing, were quenched in mineral
2010; 13(4) Influence of Phosphorus Content and Quenching/Tempering Temperatures on Fracture Toughness and Fatigue Life of SAE 5160 Steel 447

oil and tempered. Basically, three different austenitizing temperatures during test would be under tensile stresses, before they were fatigue-
and three different tempering temperatures were studied for the four tested, similarly to the procedure for regular leaf springs.
different levels of phosphorus studied. The quenching oil was always The three points fracture toughness tests were performed
kept at 66 °C. according to ASTM E1820-06. The load ratio, maximum load and
frequency used in the fatigue pre-cracking of specimens were, R = 0.1,
2.3. Mechanical tests Pmáx = 5.5 kN and f = 30 Hz, respectively.
As mentioned before, the hardness, impact, fracture toughness and A servo-hydraulic MTS810 system was used to conduct the
fatigue (S-N) tests were performed to investigate the susceptibility of fracture toughness test. As the bar thickness was only 10 mm, the
the SAE 5160, with different allowable P content, to the embrittlement specimens was removed in the T-L direction and three-point bend
effect, identifying the more adequate process parameters, as specimens, SE(B) were used with B = 10 mm; W = 20 mm; a0 = 9.5;
quenching and tempering temperatures, to avoid these embrittlements. Sd = 80 mm; and f(a/W) = 2.46, as shown in Figure 7. The rate of
Rockwell C hardness tests were conducted in a Leco RT-240 applied load was 13 kN/min and the crack opening displacement was
150 kgf durometer using a 10 mm diameter conic penetrator (120°) measured using an extensometer fixed at the crack mouth.
made from diamond, according to ASTM E18-04. The hardness Initially, two alloys were previously chosen in an attempt to
values represent an average of 10 measurements, acquired in the validate the obtained KIC values. The criterion was the selection
width of the surface in each sample. of specimens heat treated for the more fragile and more ductile
For the impact tests, type A Charpy samples with V-notch were conditions. For validation purpose, it is worthwhile to emphasize that
machined according to ASTM E23-04, as shown in Figure 5. The the blade gage restricted the specimen to its thickness (B) = 10 mm.
fabrication was performed in a milling machine and the V-notch in a As stated by the ASTM 1820-06 standard, the condition that
special backed-off cutter machine. The test specimens were removed must be satisfied is:
in the L-S direction, so that the notch was parallel to the width of
2
the sheet steel. This is the preferred direction for the in-service crack K 
propagation. The tests were performed in an Instron Wolpert PW30 a, B,(W − a ) ≥ 2,5  IC  (1)
 σe 
impact test device, using a 300 J maximum energy capacity and
impact speed of 5.54 m/s. 2.4. Grain size analysis
The fatigue tests were performed in a 1 ton nominal capacity
Guttman Eccentric Press (used for fatigue tests of flat springs). Samples removed from the bars were prepared according to
This machine uses a three-point bend device in which the specimen ASTM E3-08. After the surface preparation, a chemical attack
is placed over two points separated by 650 mm span, as shown in
Figure 6. The maximum load applied was 1093 kN (corresponding to
a maximum tension stress of σmáx = 130 MPa in the center of the bar
at surface), which corresponds to a load necessary to cause a 25 mm
deflection in the center of the bar. It is important to mention that all
specimens, underwent to a shot-peening process on the surface that

Table 1. Chemical composition of SAE 5160 steel wt. (%).

Specification Steel A Steel B Steel C Steel D
SAE
C 0.56 – 0.64 0.593 0.580 0.584 0.600
Mn 0.75 – 1.00 0.860 0.850 0.850 0.860
P 0.030 (máx) 0.012 0.017 0.025 0.031
S 0.035 (máx) 0.012 0.011 0.008 0.005
Si 0.15 – 0.35 0.250 0.230 0.012 0.190
Cr 0.70 – 0.90 0.800 0.770 0.780 0.770
Ni 0.00 – 0.25 0.070 0.090 0.070 0.090
Figure 4. Schematic flowchart of the heating treatment routs for the
SAE 5160 steel bars.

Figure 5. Size and geometry of the type A Charpy specimens according to ASTM E23-04.
448 Castro et al. Materials Research

was performed on the surface of each sample. The chemical attack software, Version 2.6. The grain size was measured according to
consisted in a solution of 1.0 g of picric acid, 1.0 mL of chloride acid, ASTM E-1382-04.
15.0 mL of detergent + 100.0 mL of distilled water, over a time of six
2.5. Fractographic analysis
minutes. Afterwards, each sample was observed in a Zeiss Axiotech
Stemi DV4/DR microscope connected to Graftek Ultimage Optlab The fracture surface of the broken specimens after impact,
fracture toughness and fatigue tests, were observed in a DSM 960
ZE155 scanning electronic microscope. The fracture surfaces have
been previously cleaned with acetone in an ultrasonic equipment, so
that no undesirable impurity would influence the analysis. This type
of analysis is required to evaluate the micro-mechanism of fractures.

3. Results and Discussion

As observed in Table 1, except for the P content, the chemical
compositions of the four steels are alike. The P content was below
the maximum allowable value always.
Table 2 shows the values of grain sizes for each condition. The
invariability of the grain size was expected since these steels were
aluminum killed to avoid large grains.
Figure 8 shows the mean hardness values obtained from each
steel composition and heat treatment as presented in the flow chart
in Figure 4. For the same austenitizing temperature, the hardness
values decrease for an increasing tempering temperature, However,
it is seen that the dependence on tempering temperature is reduced
as the austenitizing temperature for quenched increased from 850 to
1000 °C. Most hardness values of the tested samples are inside the
limits specified for the leaf springs produced from this steel, i.e.,
43-48 HRC. For the steel D (0.031% of P) tempered at 530 °C, the
hardness value was slightly below the minimum value (43 HRC).
These lower hardness values produced higher impact energy values
than those expected for the SAE heat treated for the nominal
hardness value (43-48 HRC). Unfortunately, at the highest tempering
temperature (530 °C), the furnace did not allowed further reduction
in the time range (due to speed of stretching of the oven) to provide
the necessary hardness value.
Figure 9 shows an overall representation of the absorbed
impact energy for all heat treatment conditions, considering the
different levels of P investigated. It is observed that, independent
of the austenitizing temperature for quenching, lower the P content,
higher were the values of absorbed impact energy, especially for the
tempering temperature of 500 °C. Also, steel A (0.012 P) austenitized
at 850 °C and tempered at 500 °C exhibited the highest value of
absorbed impact energy, approximately 400 kJ.m–2, despite its highest
Figure 6. Schematic representation of the fatigue test. The dimensions are
in mm.

Figure 7. SE (B) specimen dimensions and geometry used for fracture toughness tests. Dimensions are in mm.
2010; 13(4) Influence of Phosphorus Content and Quenching/Tempering Temperatures on Fracture Toughness and Fatigue Life of SAE 5160 Steel 449

Table 2. Grain size ASTM (μm) for each studied condition. hardness values when compared to the ones obtained at austenitizing
Ttempering temperature of 900 °C.
Steel A (0.012% P) According to Reguly4, for the SAE 5160 steel an increase in the
470 °C 500 °C 530 °C tempering temperature, will cause an improvement on the impact
850 °C --- 24.4 ± 0.1 --- toughness, if the phosphorus content is low (0.001 wt. (%)), since it
Tquenching 900 °C --- 25.0 ± 0.3 --- will not develop quench embrittlement. In the case that the P content
1000 °C --- 23.9 ± 0.3 --- was low, but developed quench embrittlement after austenitizing at
Ttempering 1100 °C, there was an improvement in the impact toughness when
Steel B (0.017% P) the tempering temperature was high. Reguly4, observed also that
470 °C 500 °C 530 °C improvement in the impact toughness values were obtained when
850 °C 24.9 ± 0.3 24.3 ± 0.4 25.0 ± 0.1 the austenitizing temperature was below 1100 °C.
Tquenching 900 °C 24.1 ± 0.2 23.5 ± 0.1 24.0 ± 0.1 As mentioned before, the hardness values of any specimen
1000 °C 23.0 ± 0.1 22.9 ± 0.1 22.8 ± 0.3 tempered at 530 °C were not in the required hardness interval
Ttempering (43‑48 HRC), as a consequence the toughness values were
Steel C (0.025% P) overestimated and the fracture surfaces of these specimens were not
470 °C 500 °C 530 °C considered for the analyses in this article.
850 °C --- 24.9 ± 0.3 --- Figure 10 shows the fractographic images of the Charpy
Tquenching 900 °C --- 24.4 ± 0.2 --- impact specimens tempered at 470 °C for 70 minutes. For Steel
1000 °C --- 23.8 ± 0.2 --- D (0.031 wt. (%) P) the intergranular fracture prevails at all
austenitizing temperatures, while the intergranular fracture of steel
Ttempering
Steel D (0.031% P) B (0.017 wt. (%) P) occurs only for austenitizing at 1000 °C. The
470 °C 500 °C 530 °C austenitizing temperatures of 850 and 900 °C for steel B (0.017 P)
850 °C 24.7 ± 0.1 24.2 ± 0.2 23.6 ± 0.1 produced a region of mixed fracture (ductile + intergranular) with
Tquenching 900 °C 25.0 ± 0.1 23.7 ± 0.2 24.1 ± 0.2 a dominance of ductile type. The amount of intergranular fracture
1000 °C 22.8 ± 0.2 23.2 ± 0.2 22.5 ± 0.2 gradually increases as the austenitizing temperature rises, explaining
the gradual drop in the impact toughness values, according to the
Obs: --- means that no measurement was made.
increase in the austenitizing temperature for both steels B and D for
the studied steels, Figure 9.
Figures 11 and 12 show images of impact specimens tempered
at 500 °C for 64 minutes. In steels A (0.012 wt. (%) P) and C
(0.025 wt. (%) P). Figure 12 features a ductile fracture of steel B
(0.017 wt. (%) P) and also a mixed aspect in the specimen from
steel D (0.031 wt. (%) P), which shows mostly ductile with only
some regions of intergranular fracture. This intergranular portion is
directly connected to the 33% decrease in the impact toughness if
compared to specimens from steel B (0.017 wt. (%) P), which display
an absorbed impact energy of 240.54 kJ.m–2.
Thus, for the austenitizing temperature of 850 °C it is clearly
noticed that increasing the P content, the amount of intergranular
fracture increased and consequently the value of the absorbed impact
energy was reduced. Yet, for those cases of austenitizing temperature
of 900 °C, Figure 12 shows the predominance of intergranular fracture
for specimens from steel D with high P content (0.031 wt. (%)), and
predominance of ductile fracture for specimens taken from steel B
Figure 8. Hardness test results versus tempering temperature for three with medium P content (0.017 wt. (%)). However, unexpectedly
austenitizing temperatures (TA1, TA2, and TA3). the impact toughness values of both steels were quite similar, i.e.,
173 and 168 kJ.m–2 for steels B and D, respectively.
At austenitizing temperature of 1000 °C, steel B (0.017 wt. (%) P)
exhibited a significantly larger portion of intergranular fracture than
the specimens austenitized at 900 °C. Such fact is evidenced by the
fall of approximately 13% in the value of impact toughness when
the autenitizing temperature was 1000 °C. On the other hand, the
sample of steel D (0.031 wt. (%) P) displayed a fracture surface with
predominantly intergranular type.
In short, the fractographic analysis agrees the fact that the values
of impact toughness of the steels with higher levels of phosphorus
are always lower than those with lower levels of P (Figure 9). The
large portion of intergranular fracture found in steels with higher
levels of P is related to the decrease in the values of absorbed impact
energy. It can be inferred that this embrittlement phenomenon is
due to the segregation of phosphorus occurred during the respective
Figure 9. Absorbed energy in the Charpy impact test. Comparative image for austenitizing and/or tempering heat treatments, for steels with higher
all conditions studied in this work. P content9.
450 Castro et al. Materials Research

Figure 10. Fracture surface (central part of the fracture) of impact specimens. Steel with 0.017 wt. (%) P (steel B) austenitized at: a) 850 °C; c) 900 °C; and
e) 1000 °C. Steel with 0.031 wt. (%) P (steel D) austenitized at: b) 850 °C; d) 900 °C; and f) 1000 °C. The specimens were tempered at 470 °C for 70 minutes.
2010; 13(4) Influence of Phosphorus Content and Quenching/Tempering Temperatures on Fracture Toughness and Fatigue Life of SAE 5160 Steel 451

Figure 11. Fracture surface (central part of the fracture) of the impact specimens. Steel with 0.012 wt. (%) P (steel A) austenitized at: a) 850 °C; c) 900 °C; and
e) 1000 °C. Steel with 0.025 wt. (%) P (steel C) austenitized at: b) 850 °C; d) 900 °C; and f) 1000 °C. The specimens were tempered at 500 °C for 64 minutes.

Figure 13a shows the Load versus COD curve for steel B fracture mode. The fracture surface from steel B, Figure 14, shows
(0.017 wt. (%) P) austenitized at 850 °C and tempered at 530 °C. a ductile fracture mode, with stable crack growth by coalescence
According to ASTM E1820-2006, it is observed that the curve for steel of microvoids, Figure 14b. In this specimen it was also observed a
B is from Type I, meaning that the value of PQ is lower than the value delamination, where the internal faces presents a more brittle aspect,
of Pmáx. Thus, it is necessary to use the procedure of the 5% secant Figure 14c. From Figure 15 it is seen that steel D exhibited a more
line OP5. Figure 13b shows the behavior of a steel D (0.031 wt. (%) brittle mode of fracture, with a mixture of cleavage and intergranular
of P) austenitized at 1000 °C and tempered at 470 °C. The Load types. Such a fracture micromechanism occurred due its highest P
versus COD curve in this case is from type III, with elastic behavior content, even considering that it is inside of the allowable range. As
an indicative of low toughness. previously observed by other researchers9-11, atoms of P may migrate
Table 3 shows the fracture toughness results for specimens from to prior austenitic grain boundaries, making the steel to behave in a
steel B (0.017 wt. (%) of P) and steel D (0.031 wt. (%) of P). The brittle manner. However, it is not possible to precise in which step it
last line of Table 3 shows the results of a, (W–a) and B, which are has occurred, if during austenitizing or tempering.
the requirements for KQ be considered the fracture toughness value Figure 16 presents the results of the fatigue tests. Note that, for
in plane strain state condition, KIC. It is observed that B = 10.0 mm similar heat treatment, there is a spread in the measured values of
did not allowed the obtaining of a valid value of KIC for steel B fatigue life. This scattering could be related to the stress concentrators
(austenitized at 850 °C and tempered at 530 °C), therefore it is in the spring surface and/or local changes in mechanical properties,
considered as Kc only. However, for steel D (austenitized at 1000 °C considering that the specimens were directly acquired from bars
and tempered at 470 °C), it was possible to obtain K = KIC, therefore made on industrial scale. However, besides the austenitizing and
only the values of KQ were used for toughness for these tested tempering temperatures, the values of high cycle fatigue life were
conditions. Note that, similarly to the impact test trend with P content, not significantly affected by the embrittlement caused by a higher
the values of KQ decreases as the phosphorus level increases. level of P, as the heat treatments aimed to produce micro-structures
The values of KQ relates well with the fracture surface results, i.e., able to provide similar mechanical properties, such as hardness and
steel B, which had a higher value of KQ, presented a ductile fracture tensile strength to the specimens, consequently causing a similar
mode, while steel D, which had a lower value of KQ, presented a brittle high cycle fatigue life.
452 Castro et al. Materials Research

Figure 12. Fracture surface (central part of the fracture) of the impact specimens. Steels with 0.017 wt. (%) P (steel B) austenitized at: a) 850 °C; c) 900 °C; and
e) 1000 °C. Steels with 0.031 wt. (%) P (steel D) austenitized at: b) 850 °C; d) 900 °C; and f) 1000 °C. The specimens were tempered at 500 °C for 64 minutes.
2010; 13(4) Influence of Phosphorus Content and Quenching/Tempering Temperatures on Fracture Toughness and Fatigue Life of SAE 5160 Steel 453

Figure 13. Load versus crack opening displacement form SEN(B) specimens for determination of KQ: a) steel B (0.017 wt. (%) of P) austenitized at 850 °C
and tempered at 530 °C and b) steel D (0.031 wt. (%) of P) austenitized at 1000 °C and tempered at 470 °C.

Figure 14. Fracture surface from steel B (0.017% of P) austenitized at 850 °C and tempered at 530 °C. a) General view of the fracture surface; b) detail from
the instable crack growth; and c) detail from the fracture mode from the delamination.
454 Castro et al. Materials Research

Table 3. Mechanical properties from tensile test, austenitizing and tempering

temperatures and values of load (PQ) and toughness (KQ) for steels B and D.
Steels B D
(0.017 wt. (%) P) (0.031 wt. (%) P)
Quenching temperature (°C) 850 1000
Tempering temperature (°C) 530 470
Yield strength (MPa) 1262.3 ± 8.5 1430.3 ± 9.2
Ultimate strength (MPa) 1327.3 ± 15.9 1547.0 ± 6.2
PQ (kN) 14.2 ± 0.4 10.3 ± 0.3
K Q [MPa m ] 98.8 71.7
(W-a), B, a (mm) 15.3 6.3

Figure 15. Fracture surface from steel D (0.031% of P) austenitized at 1000 °C

and tempered at 470 °C: a) General view showing the notch, fatigue pre‑crack Figure 16. Fatigue test results (S-N) performed in the heat-treated samples
and instable crack growth and b) Detail from the instable crack growth showing for austenitizing temperatures of a) 850 °C; b) 900 °C; and c) 1000 °C and a
a brittle fracture mode. σmáx = 130 MPa applied in the center of the sheet and R = 0.1.
2010; 13(4) Influence of Phosphorus Content and Quenching/Tempering Temperatures on Fracture Toughness and Fatigue Life of SAE 5160 Steel 455

4. Conclusions 3. Hyde RS, Krauss G and Matlock DK. Quench embrittlement: intergranular
fracture due to cementite and phosphorus in quenched carbon and
From the results it is possible to conclude that the P content steel steels. In: Proceedings of the 40th Mechanical Working and Steel
has a strong influence on the impact properties of the SAE 5160 Processing Conference. 1998; Warrendale, PA. ISS. p. 921-928.
steel, even if considered P content below the maximum allowable
4. Reguly A, Strohaecker TR, Krauss G and Matlock DK. Quench
value (0.03 wt. (%)). The effect is more pronounced at lower
embrittlement of hardened 5160 steel as a function of austenitizing
quenching temperature (850 °C). For higher quenching temperatures
temperature. Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A. 2004;
(900 and 1000 °C), the drop in the impact toughness is smaller.
35A:153‑162.
Although, it was not possible to validate the fracture toughness
results for steel B (quenched from 850 °C and tempered at 530 °C) 5. Pietikäinen J. Considerations about tempered martensite embrittlement.
following the ASTM E1820, the KQ values were able to show a 30% Materials Science and Engineering A. 1999; A273-275:466-470.
drop in the stress intensity factor value when compared with the 6. Zia-Ebrahimi F and Krauss G. Mechanisms of tempered martensite
brittle steel (steel D quenched from 1000 °C and tempered at 470 °C). embrittlement in medium-carbon steels. Acta Metallurgical. 1984;
The fractographic analysis relates quite well with the absorbed 32:1767-1777.
energy and stress intensity factor values obtained for the steels 7. Qing-fen L, Li L, Er-bao L, Dong L and Xiu-fang C. Temper embrittlement
analyzed, i.e., higher P content was related to larger percentile of dynamics induced by non-equilibrium segregation of phosphorus in steel
intergranular fracture, as well as with increasing temperature for 12Cr1MoV. Scripta Materialia. 2005; 53:309-313.
quenching. 8. ASM International Handbook Committee. Failure analysis and prevention.
Independently of the austenitizing and tempering temperatures, ASM Handbook. EUA; 2002; p. 691-692.
the values of high cycle fatigue life were not significantly affected
by the embrittlement caused by higher levels of P. 9. Krauss G. Deformation and fracture in martensitic carbon steels tempered
at low temperatures. Metallurgical and Materials Transactions B. 2001;
As a final conclusion, it was noticed that the P content has a
32B:206.
very deleterious effect on the SAE 5160 steel and it is strongly
recommended that spring steels must have P content as low as 10. Darwish FA, Pereira LC, Gatts C and Graça ML. On the tempered
0.01 wt. (%). martensite embrittlement in AISI 4140 low alloy steel. Materials Science
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Acknowledgements 11. Hyde RS, Krauss G and Matlock DK. Phosphorus and carbon segregation:
effects on fatigue and fracture of gas-carburized modified 4320 steel.
The authors would like to acknowledge Rassini-NHK Automotive
Metallurgical Materials Transactions A. 1994; 25A:1229-1240.
for the support and the Materials, Aeronautics and Automotive
Engineering Department at the Engineering School of São Carlos – 12. Apple CA and Krauss G. Microcracking and Fatigue in a Carburized
USP, for granting the use of its facilities. Steel. Metallurgical Transactions A. 1973; 4:1195-1200.
13. Wu R, Freeman AJ and Olson GB. On the Electronic Basis of the
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