Comparative fracture mechanics study of advanced high strength steels, including lightweight FeMnAl Alloys

Recent developments in steel alloys metallurgy followed the automotive industry need for enhanced crash safety, fuel economy and customer satisfaction. In this work, a group of innovative steel alloys, belonging to different Advanced High Strength Steels generations, sourced from available studies, were subject to a comparative study to test their toughness in a reference fracture mechanics scenario. A commercial FEM code was used, employing two widespread approaches to fracture mechanics. The results allowed to make considerations about the use of some popular steel alloys in the automotive industry, highlighting the importance of FEM in the mechanical engineering sector.