A material strength investigation along with a detailed microfractography analysis of fractures formed during static tensile tests of steel Armstal 550 was performed. The tests in this research were conducted in a temperature range of 298 to 973 K. In addition, during tensile tests at ambient temperature, optical measurements of strain maps and the curvature of the neck were performed. The minimum cross-sectional diameter and the radius of the neck curvature during tensile tests were obtained. The data can be directly used to obtain the true stress-strain curve. The material property analysis confirmed the high strength of the Armstal 550 alloy. The ultimate strength at room temperature equals 2.14 GPa, whereas the yield point equals 1.65 GPa. A decrease in the strength parameters along with an increase in temperature was noted. This is a typical phenomenon related to a change in the density and thermal expansion of steel under the influence of the temperature increase. For example, at a temperature of 500 °C, the ultimate strength is more than 50% less than at room temperature. An in-depth analysis of the metallography and microfractography of fractures resulting from static tensile tests showed the formation of atypical nano- and microstructures with an elongated shape. Local nano- and microstructures were observed at different levels of intensity for different temperatures. The largest clusters of nanoparticles were present on the surfaces of the specimens examined at a temperature of 973 K. Scanning microscopy analysis confirmed the presence of molybdenum oxides.
Keywords: armour steel; material strength; metallography; microfractography; nanoparticles; optical measurements; static tensile test.