Effects of Mode Mixity and Loading Rate on Fracture Behavior of Cracked Thin-Walled 304L Stainless Steel Sheets with Large Non-Linear Plastic Deformation

This study investigates the mixed-mode I/II fracture behavior of O-notched diagonally loaded square plate (DLSP) samples containing an edge crack within the O-notch. This investigation aims to explore the combined effects of loading rate and mode mixity on the fracture properties of steel 304L, utilizing DLSP samples. The DLSP samples, made from strain-hardening steel 304L, were tested at three different loading rates: 1, 50, and 400 mm/min, covering five mode mixities from pure mode I to pure mode II. Additionally, tensile tests were performed on dumbbell-shaped specimens at the same loading rates to examine their influence on the material’s mechanical properties. The findings revealed that stress and strain diagrams derived from the dumbbell-shaped samples were largely independent of the tested loading rates (i.e., 1–400 mm/min). Furthermore, experimental results from DLSP samples showed no significant impact of the loading rates on the maximum load values, but did indicate an increase in the ultimate displacement. In contrast to the loading rate, mode mixity exhibited a notable effect on the fracture behavior of DLSP samples. Ultimately, it was observed that the loading rate had an insignificant effect on the fracture path or trajectory of the tested DLSP samples.