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The strain localization and crack formation in ferritic-pearlitic ductile iron under tension was investigated by in-situ tensile tests. In-situ tensile tests under optical microscope were performed and the onset of the early ferrite-graphite decohesions and micro-cracks inside the matrix were studied. The results revealed that early ferrite-graphite decohesion and micro-cracks inside the ferrite were formed at the stress range of 280-330 MPa, where a kink occurred in the stress-strain response, suggesting the dissipation of energy in both plastic deformation and crack initiation. Some microcracks initiated and propagated inside the ferrite but were arrested within the ferrite zone before propagating in the pearlite. Digital Image Correlation (DIC) was used to measure local strains in the deformed micrographs obtained from the in-situ tensile test. Higher strain localization in the microstructure was measured for the areas in which the early ferrite-graphite decohesions occurred or the micro-cracks initiated.

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Graphite nodules in spheroidal graphite cast iron (SGI) play a vital role in fatigue crack initiation and propagation. Graphite nodules growth morphology can go through transitions to form degenerated graphite elements other than spheroidal graphite nodules in SGI microstructure. These graphite particles significantly influence damage micromechanisms in SGI and could act differently than spheroidal graphite nodules. Most of the damage mechanism studies on SGI focused on the role of spheroidal graphite nodules on the stable crack propagation region. The role of degenerated graphite elements on SGI damage mechanisms has not been frequently studied. In this work, fatigue crack initiation and propagation tests were conducted on EN‐GJS‐500‐14 and observed under scanning electron microscope to understand the damage mechanisms for different graphite shapes. Crack initiation tests showed a dominant influence of degenerated graphite elements where early cracks initiated in the microstructure. Most of the spheroidal graphite nodules were unaffected at the early crack initiation stage, but few of them showed decohesion from the ferrite matrix and internal cracking. In the crack propagation region, graphite/ferrite matrix decohesion was the frequent damage mechanism observed with noticeable crack branching around graphite nodules and the crack passing through degenerated graphite elements. Finally, graphite nodules after decohesion acted like voids which grew and coalesced to form microcracks eventually causing rapid fracture of the remaining section.