Stress corrosion crack propagation in AerMet 100

Fracture mechanics tests were carried out for AerMet 100 in distilled water and NaCl (3.5 and 35 gl^–1). The initiation period at higher values of the stress intensity factor indicated that load application in the stress corrosion cracking (SCC) environment is a necessary but not sufficient factor for SCC and that time is needed for some other factor (e.g., the local hydrogen concentration) to reach an appropriate value. The threshold stress intensity factor, K_ISSC, was found to increase with decreasing NaCl concentration. The plateau stress corrosion crack velocity was 2 × 10^–8 m s^–1 for NaCl (3.5 and 35 gl^–1). The fracture mode was transgranular with small areas of an intergranular nature.     

Stress corrosion cracking of Al-Zn-Mg alloy AA-7039 by slow strain-rate method

The stress corrosion behaviour of Al-Zn-Mg alloy AA-7039 in an aqueous 3.5 wt % Nad solution (pH=1) was studied with the specimens under constant strain rate as function of ageing state and cold working. The tests were carried out at temperatures of 30 and 45°C and strain rates between 7.6×10^–7 and 7.6×10^–6 sec^–1 and the apparent activation energy for mechanical deformation in oil and stress corrosion cracking (SCC) process in NaCl solution were determined. The fracture energy in NaCl solution under constant strain rate, as compared with experiments in oil, was lowered in the overaged specimens and markedly lowered in sequence of the peak-aged and the underaged specimens. The values of fracture energy for peak-aged and overaged specimens were nearly similar to those in oil at the higher strain rate of 7.6×10^–6 sec^–1. The relative fracture energy was comparatively lowered in the fine-grained specimens, as compared to coarsegrained specimens. The apparent activation energy for mechanical processes in oil was found to be 103 kJ mol^–1 in the peak-aged and 96.5 kJ mol^–1 in the overaged specimens. Those for SCC processes in NaCl solution were 47.5 kJ mol^–1 in the peak-aged and 51.5 kJ mol^–1 in the overaged specimens. The results suggest that stress corrosion (SC) cracks are initiated by electrochemical dissolution of grain boundaries (gbs) and propagated by mechanical processes such as creep.     

Effect of plasma electrolytic oxidation treatment on the corrosion and stress corrosion cracking behaviour of AM50 magnesium alloy

The effect of a silicate-based plasma anodization treatment on the corrosion and stress corrosion cracking behaviour of a cast AM50 magnesium alloy was studied. Electrochemical tests revealed the beneficial effect of the plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) in improving the corrosion resistance of the alloy. Although the coating had provided an improved resistance to stress corrosion cracking in this test environment at a nominal strain rate of 10⁻⁶ s⁻¹, it could not completely eliminate the SCC susceptibility of the alloy. Cracking of the coating under conditions of straining was found to be the reason for SCC of PEO-coated alloy.     

Effects of various environments on fatigue crack growth in Laser formed and IM Ti–6Al–4V alloys

The fatigue crack growth behaviors of Laser formed and ingot metallurgy (IM) Ti–6Al–4V alloys were studied in three environments: vacuum, air and 3.5% NaCl solution. Taking the Unified Fatigue Damage Approach, the fatigue crack growth data were analyzed with two intrinsic parameters, stress intensity amplitude ΔK and maximum stress intensity K_max, and their limiting values ΔK^* and . Fatigue crack growth rates da/dN were found increase with stress ratio R, highest in 3.5% NaCl solution, somewhat less in air and lowest in vacuum, and higher in IM alloy than in Laser formed one. In 3.5% NaCl solution, stress corrosion cracking (SCC) was superimposed on fatigue at R=0.9 for where K_max>K_ISCC, the threshold stress intensity for SCC. This and environment-assisted fatigue crack growth were evidenced by the deviation in fatigue crack growth trajectory (ΔK^* vs. curve) from the pure fatigue line where . Furthermore, the fractographic features, identified along the trajectory path, reflected the fatigue crack growth behaviors of both alloys in a given environment.     

Effects of strain rate and temperature on the stress–strain response of solder alloys

To ensure reliable design of soldered interconnections as electronic devices become smaller, requires greater knowledge and understanding of the relevant mechanical behavior of solder alloys than are presently available. The present paper reports the findings of an investigation into the monotonic tensile properties of bulk samples of three solder alloys; a lead–tin eutectic and two lead-free solders (tin–3.5 copper and a tin–3.5 silver alloy). Temperatures between–10 and 75°C and strain rates between 10^–1 and 10^–3 s^–1 have been studied. Both temperature and strain rate may have a substantial effect on strength, producing changes well in excess of 100%. Strength is reduced by lowering strain rate and increasing temperature, and Sn–37 Pb is usually most sensitive to the latter. Expressions for strain and strain rate hardening have been developed. The Sn–0.5 Cu alloy is usually the weakest and most ductile. Sn–37 Pb is strongest at room temperature but with increasing temperature and lower strain rates it becomes inferior to Sn–3.5 Ag. Ductility changes with temperature and strain rate for all three alloys are generally small with inconsistent trends. The role of such data in stress analysis and modeling is considered and the paramount importance of employing data for conditions appropriate to service, is emphasized.     

Effects of sulfur content in tube steel welds on sulfide cracking

Summary Results are presented on the tendency to stress corrosion cracking in NACE solution for welded joints in tube steel with sulfur contents from 0.002 to 0.028%. Threshold stresses have been determined and test results are given on the tendency to sulfide cracking at slow strain rates. There is a relationship between the tendency to stress corrosion cracking and the microstructural features.Translated from Fiziko-Khimicheskaya Mekhanika Meterialov, No. 6, pp. 51–56, November–December, 1992.     

Quasi-static and dynamic compression behaviour of an FPTM alumina-reinforced aluminium metal matrix composite

An aluminium metal matrix composite reinforced with continuous unidirectional -alumina fibres has been compression tested at quasi-static and dynamic strain rates. In the transverse direction, the composite showed increasing flow stress (at 5% strain) and maximum stress within the studied strain rates, 10^–3–3 × 10³ s^–1. In the longitudinal direction, the maximum stress of the composite increased similarly with increasing strain rates within the range 10^–5–7 × 10² s^–1. It is shown that, if brooming of the sample ends can be suppressed, the failure stress of the composite in longitudinal compression increases significantly. Metallographic observations reveal the typical modes of damage initiation in the composite.     

Stress corrosion cracking and hydrogen embrittlement cracking of welded weathering steel and carbon steel in a simulated acid rain environment

Abstract

The stress corrosion cracking (SCC) and hydrogen embrittlement cracking (HEC) characteristics of welded weathering steel and carbon steel were investigated in aerated acid chloride solution. The electrochemical properties of welded steels were investigated by polarisation and galvanic corrosion tests. Neither weathering steel nor carbon steel showed passive behaviour in this acid chloride solution. The results indicated that weathering steel had better corrosion resistance than carbon steel. Galvanic corrosion between the weldment and the base metal was not observed in the case of weathering steel because the base metal was anodic to the weldment. However, the carbon steel was susceptible to galvanic corrosion because the weldment acts as an anode. Slow strain rate tests (SSRT) were conducted at a constant strain rate of 7.87 × 10⁷ s^-1 at corrosion potential, and at potentiostatically controlled anodic and cathodic potentials, to investigate the SCC and HEC properties in acid chloride solution. The welded weathering steel and carbon steel were susceptible to both anodic dissolution SCC and hydrogen evolution HEC. However, weathering steel showed less susceptibility of SCC and HEC than carbon steel at anodic potential because of Cr and Cu compounds in the rust layer, which retarded anodic dissolution, and at cathodic potential due to the presence of Cr, Cu, and Ni in alloy elements, which inhibit the reduction of hydrogen ions. SEM fractographs of both steels revealed a quasicleavage fracture in the embrittled region at applied anodic and cathodic potentials.     

Some features of sulfide cracking of low-alloy and low-carbon steels

We analyze the susceptibility of low-carbon and low-alloy pipe steels and two types of rotor steel to corrosion cracking as a function of polarization in a NACE solution. It is shown that anodic and cathodic polarization inhibit the process of corrosion cracking only if the potential is shifted by 0.4–0.6 V. At the same time, full protection against cracking is never attained in testing at slow strain rates (10^–5 sec^–1). According to the results of the analysis of the diagrams of thermodynamic stability and measurements of the parameters and pH, sulfide cracking is initiated in the region of equilibrium between Fe²⁺ and FeS₂ or between Ni²⁺ and NiS₂ (NiS) if steel is alloyed with nickel.Karpenko Physicomechanical Institute, Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, L'viv. Translated from Fiziko-Khimicheskaya Mekhanika Materialov, Vol. 31, No. 2, pp. 75–81, March–April, 1995.     

Strain rate dependence of iodine-induced stress corrosion cracking of Zircaloy-4 under internal pressurization tests

Pressurization tests were run on unirradiated Zircaloy-4 tubing in the pressure range of 400 to 550 MPa and temperature, 330 to 400 ° C. The effects of the mechanical factor on the susceptibility of Zircaloy to iodine-induced stress corrosion cracking (ISCC) were studied in terms of both time-to-failure and failure strain. The time-to-failure was related to thenth power of stress, and the failure strain was a parabolic function of the strain rate in the limited range of 10^–7 to 10^–4 sec^–1. The ISCC susceptibility was determined by the strain rate rather than the stress, and decreased with increasing test temperature. The results suggest that the film rupture step should be involved in the Zircaloy ISCC and that gas adsorption process is an important step in the overall ISCC.     

Low temperature stress relaxation of nanocrystalline nickel

Stress relaxation in nanocrystalline nickel within the temperature range 523–673 K in a uniaxial compression regime is studied in the present investigation. The results obtained for coarser grained nickel are given for comparison. An average strain rate of nanocrystalline nickel within the investigated range of temperatures is 1.75 × 10^–5–3.03 × 10^–5s^–1. The presence of two types of stress relaxation dependencies are shown. The most likely strain mechanism is grain boundary sliding controlled by grain boundary diffusion for temperatures between 623 and 673 K.     

Stress-strain rate relations for high-temperature deformation of two-phase Al-Cu alloys

Al-Cu alloys containing 6, 11, 17, 24 and 33 wt% Cu, annealed for 0.5–100 h, were deformed by the differential strain-rate test technique over a strain-rate range of 4×10^–6 to 3×10^–2s^–1 at temperatures ranging from 460–540°C. Superplastic behaviour, with strain-rate sensitivity, m0.5, and activation energy, Q=171.5 kJ mol^–1, is shown by the Al-24Cu and Al-33Cu alloys at lower strain rates and higher temperatures. All the alloys show m0.20 at higher strain rates, but the average activation energy for deformation of the Al-6Cu, Al-11Cu, and Al-17Cu alloys is evaluated to be 480.7 kJ mol^–1, in contrast to a lower value of 211 kJ mol^–1 for the Al-24Cu and Al-33Cu alloys. Instead of grain size, the mean free path between particles is suggested to be a more appropriate microstructural parameter for the constitutive relationship for deformation of the Al-Cu alloys.     

Superplasticity of mullite-zirconia composite

Tension tests of mullite-zirconia composite were conducted at elevated temperature. A superplastic elongation of 122% could be achieved at an initial strain rate of 2.86×10^–5s^–1 at 1550°C. Strain hardening was observed at strain rates from 1.42×10^–4 to 2.86×10^s–5s^–1 at 1550°C. The addition of zirconia grains to the mullite matrix increased the creep rate of the composite.     

Superplastic properties of a TiAl based alloy with a duplex microstructure

The superplastic properties of a engineering TiAl based alloy with a duplex microstructure were investigated with respect to the effect of testing temperatures ranging from 950°C to 1075°C and strain rates ranging from 8 × 10^–5 s^–1 to 2 × 10^–3 s^–1. A maximum elongation of 467% was achieved at 1050°C and at a strain rate of 8 × 10^–5 s^–1. The apparent activation energy was calculated to be 345 kJ/mol. Also, the dependence of the strain rate sensitivity values on strain during superplastic deformation was examined through the jump strain rate tests, and microstructural analysis was performed after superplastic deformation. It is concluded that superplasticity of the alloy at relatively low temperature and relatively high strain rate results from dynamic recrystallization, and grain boundary sliding and associated accommodation mechanism is related to superplasticity at higher temperature and lower strain rate.     

Rate-dependent fracture toughness of pure polycrystalline ice

A series of three-point bend tests using single edge notched testpieces of pure polycrystalline ice have been performed at three different temperatures (–20°C, –30°C and –40°C). The displacement rate was varied from 1 mm/min to 100 mm/min, producing the crack tip strain rates from about 10^–3 to 10^–1 s^–1. The results show that (a) the fracture toughness of pure polycrystalline ice given by the critical stress intensity factor (K _IC) is much lower than that measured from the J—integral under identical conditions; (b) from the determination of K _IC, the fracture toughness of pure polycrystalline ice decreases with increasing strain rate and there is good power law relationship between them; (c) from the measurement of the J—integral, a different tendency was appeared: when the crack tip strain rate exceeds a critical value of 6 × 10^–3 s^–1, the fracture toughness is almost constant but when the crack tip strain rate is less than this value, the fracture toughness increases with decreasing crack tip strain rate. Re-examination of the mechanisms of rate-dependent fracture toughness of pure polycrystalline ice shows that the effect of strain rate is related not only to the blunting of crack tips due to plasticity, creep and stress relaxation but also to the nucleation and growth of microcracks in the specimen.     

7A52铝合金焊缝应力腐蚀性能研究

本文用20mm厚的7A52铝合金板材,采用钨极氩孤焊接工艺焊接,用慢应变速率实验方法,应变速率为1．58×10^-6s^-1,在3．5％氯化钠溶液和惰性气体中,研究了7A52铝合金焊接接头的应力腐蚀性能。试验结果表明：7A52铝舍金焊缝对应力腐蚀较为敏感,在3．5％氯化钠溶液中应力腐蚀断裂均发生在焊缝熔合线附近区,而在惰性气体中试样断裂发生在焊缝中间部位。     

Determining cyclic corrosion cracking resistance for titanium alloys with allowance for electrochemical conditions at the fatigue corrosion crack tip

Published data are examined on how various factors affect fatigue crack growth rates. Basic diagrams have been constructed for the cyclic cracking resistance in Ti-6AI-4V and Ti-6AI-6V-2Sn alloys in air, distilled water, and 3.5% NaCl for use in working-life calculations. Appropriate heat treatment can produce two microstructures in a titanium alloy, one of which has the largest cyclic cracking resistance, while in the second, the cracks grow at the lowest rate. The cyclic corrosion cracking resistance for a titanium alloy should be determined in relation to the state of stress and strain and to the electrochemical conditions at the corrosion fatigue crack tip, while the variations in fatigue crack growth rate for a given stress intensity factor in a corrosive medium are due to differing electrochemical conditions at the crack tip during the testing on different specimens. Basic diagrams can be derived for titanium alloys by using a physically sound methodology developed previously for steels, which is based on invariant diagrams for cyclic cracking resistance in air and in the corresponding medium, which can be constructed in relation to extremal working and electrochemical conditions at corrosion-fatigue crack tips.Translated from Problemy Prochnosti, No. 12, pp. 3–11, December, 1993.     

Effect of sulfide on the stress corrosion behaviour of a copper-aluminium alloy in saline water

The stress corrosion cracking (scc) behaviour of -Al bronze was investigated in 3.4% NaCl with sodium sulfide contaminations under open-circuit potentials, as well as at different applied potentials using the constant slow strain rate technique. The susceptibility of -Al bronze towards stress corrosion cracking has been found to increase with an increase in sulfide ion concentration and in anodic potentials. The increase in sulfide ions in polluted saline water resulted in a reduction in the maximum stress ( max). The results support film rupture and anodic dissolution at slip steps as the operating mechanism of the stress corrosion cracking process.     

Crystallisation of PET with strain, strain rate and temperature

The mechanical properties of Poly ethylene terephthalate (PET) were studied over several decades of strain rate and a temperature range of 263 K–453 K. Tests were carried out in the range 10^–3–10⁴ s^–1 using a conventional Hounsfield machine and two high strain rate test systems. Strain limited tests were carried out at all the strain rates and the temperature rises were estimated from the area under the stress strain curves. X-ray diffraction was used to extract interatomic plane distances and crystallite dimensions. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) was employed to estimate the degree of crystallinity of the material and the kinetics of crystallisation. PET yield stress increased with strain rate with a sharp increase at rates of 10³ s^–1 and above. It crystallised into the triclinic form at rates above 10³ s^–1 beyond 140% strain but crystallisation was not observed at lower strain rates. Increases of up to 40% in crystallinity content were found which, it is concluded, were thermally induced after the test ended. The results shed light on the development of crystallinity in PET as a function of strain, strain rate and temperature and indicate that the rapid increase in yield and flow stresses previously reported cannot be accounted for by increases in crystallinity.     

Constitutive equations to predict high temperature flow stress in a Ti-modified austenitic stainless steel

The experimental stress–strain data from isothermal hot compression tests, in a wide range of temperatures (1123–1523 K) and strain rates (10⁻³–10² s⁻¹), were employed to develop constitutive equations in a Ti-modified austenitic stainless steel. The effects of temperature and strain rate on deformation behaviors were represented by Zener-Holloman parameter in an exponent type equation. The influence of strain was incorporated in the constitutive analysis by considering the effect of strain on material constants. The constitutive equation (considering the compensation of strain) could precisely predict the flow stress only at 0.1 and 1 s⁻¹ strain rates. A modified constitutive equation (incorporating both the strain and strain rate compensation), on the other hand, could predict the flow stress throughout the entire temperatures and strain rates range except at 1123 K in 10 and 100 s⁻¹. The breakdown of the constitutive equation at these processing conditions is possibly due to adiabatic temperature rise during high strain rate deformation.