Microstructural Simulation of Three-Point Bending Test with Mo-Si-B Alloy at High Temperature: Sources of Strain Field Localization

Deformation behavior in three-point bending test of Mo-Si-B alloy was investigated by recourse to finite element analysis (FEA) with microstructure incorporated. This Mo-Si-B alloy consists of hard, brittle T2 (Mo5SiB2) phase embedded in soft matrix of Mo solid solution. The sample contains pre-crack configuration at the middle in order to study the effect of the second phase (T2 particles) onto a crack tip during the bending test. Various optical micrographs were scanned, digitized and meshed for FEA. It was found that strain localization from the second phase at the crack tip was interfered with that from the loading pin in three-point bending test. Such interference could be reduced by replacement with end moment loading, in order to identify sole strain localization effect from the second phase at the crack tip.