Crack healing in a low-carbon steel under hot plastic deformation

The behavior of internal crack healing in low-carbon steel samples undergoing hot plastic deformation was investigated using the MMS 200 thermo-mechanical simulator. The characterization of cracks after plastic deformation was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy under different heating temperatures, reduction ratios, numbers of deformation passes, strain rates, and holding time durations. It was found that the degree of crack healing increases with increasing heating temperature, reduction ratio, and holding time duration, and with decreasing number of deformation passes and strain rate.