Merrill
First Name
Marriner
Last Name
Merrill
Department
Engineering Studies
Scholarship Year
2025
Research Center
Non-Center Based
Scholarship Type
Manuscripts Submitted for Publication
Contributors List
Joha Shamsujjoha, Joshua Beldue, Kayley Judd, Marriner H. Merrill, Trisha Gard-Thompson
Project Title
Submission: Why Some High-Hard Steels Fail: Linking Grain Structure to Environmental Toughness in 500HB-600HB Alloys
Start Date - Month
January
Start Date - Year
2025
End Date Anticipated - Month
November
End Date Anticipated - Year
2025
End Date Actual - Month
November
End Date Actual - Year
2025
Review Types
Blind Peer Reviewed
Student Assistance
Graduate
Projected Cost
$0.00
Funding Source
Operating Budget
Resulting Product
Manuscript submission to the ASME Manufacturing Science and Engineering Conference (MSEC)
Citation

Gard-Thompson, Trisha, et al. "Why Some High-Hard Steels Fail: Linking Grain Structure to Environmental Toughness in 500HB-600HB Alloys." 14 Nov. 2025. TS - typescript (typed). *

Abstract

High-Hardness steels in the 500-600 Brinell hardness (HB) range are widely used in defense and industrial applications due to their high strength and abrasion resistance. However, these steels are vulnerable to environmentally accelerated cracking in corrosive or hydrogen-rich environments. Our study reveals significant variability in environmental durability among steels from different manufacturers, even within the same hardness rating. We used an immersed tuning fork test (TFT) to compare the durability of several steels. This novel test approach submerges stressed samples with a ~0.3mm notch in saltwater until crack initiation and failure. Our results showed an over 10X difference in lifetime between the best and worst of the steels within the 500HB class. This study investigates the microstructural factors that may explain those differences

264925