The effect of mean stress and environment on corrosion fatigue behavior of 7075-T6 aluminum

Axial fatigue tests were performed on a 7075-T6 aluminum alloy in tension-compression and under superimposed positive mean stresses in dry air and in aqueous 0.5N NaCl solution. Both corrosive environments and positive mean stresses resulted in lower fatigue lives but no interaction between these variables was observed. Crack initiation in air occurred at electropolish pits at inclusion/alloy interfaces and propagated primarily in a Stage I (crystallographic) mode. Crack initiation in NaCl solutions occurred at heavily corroded regions surrounding non-metallic inclusions and propagated in a cleavage mode normal to the direction of applied stress. The relative number of cycles to crack initiation is shown to be a function of the magnitude of cyclic stress but not of mean stress. Similarly, the percentage of reduction in fatigue life due to corrosive environments is approximately constant at all mean stress levels. These data indicate that fatigue crack initiation is primarily related to mobile dislocations associated with cyclic deformation. Crack propagation on the other hand appears to be controlled by the maximum applied stress. A model for environment assisted cracking is presented which suggests that hydrogen induced cleavage is responsible for the degradation in fatigue properties of this alloy. Formerly Research Assistant, Materials Division, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, N. Y. 12181.