Abstract
This paper presents a method for predicting the fractal dimensions of ductile fracture surfaces in structural steels. The fractal dimension of the fracture surface is a non-monotonic function of the ratio of interparticle spacing and particle size, and it increases with the increasing work hardening exponent and the ordering parameter of second-phase particles in the matrix. The ratio of interparticle spacing and particle size, at which the fractal dimension has a maximum, diminishes with increasing work hardening exponent. The model has been proved for Ni-Cr steel with the structure of tempered martensite. In the region of stable crack propagation, a very good accordance of the experimentally ascertained fractal dimension of the fracture profile with the predicted fractal dimension of fracture surface was found.

Key words
martensitic steel, carbides, voids, ductile fracture, fractal dimension, fractography, fracture toughness

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