Fatigue damage development in a steel based MMC

The development of fatigue damage in a tool-steel metal matrix discontinuou sly reinforced with TiC particulates is analysed using a numerical cell mod el. The material is subjected to cyclic loading, and the matrix material is represented by a cyclic plasticity model, which uses a superposition of ki nematic acid isotropic hardening, with continuum damage mechanics incorpora ted to model fatigue damage evolution. The cell model represents a material with transversely staggered particulates. With focus on low cycle fatigue, the effect of balanced as well as unbalanced cyclic loading is studied.