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Updated: May 18, 2026

Full-field Strain Measurements for Microstructurally Small Fatigue Crack Propagation Using Digital Image Correlation Method
Published on: January 16, 2019
Image analysis of microscopic crack patterns applied to thermal fatigue heat-checking of high temperature tool steels
Sabine Le Roux1, Farid Medjedoub, Gilles Dour
1Université de Toulouse, Mines Albi, ICA (Institut Clément Ader), Campus Jarlard, F-81013 Albi Cedex 09, France.
Abstract:
Surface cracking or heat-checking is investigated at a microscopic scale on a hot work tool steel (X38CrMoV5) tested under thermal fatigue. Thermal fatigue tests are periodically interrupted to observe the surface of the specimens by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A non destructive and semi-automatic method is developed to assess and evaluate the two-dimensional crack pattern initiated on the oxide scale layer formed on the specimen surface. The crack pattern is characterized by image analysis in terms of density, morphological and topological features. This technique allows to determine the number of cycles to initiate the microscopic heat-checking and to follow its evolution.
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