A fatigue damage map for 2024-T3 aluminium alloy

The propagation of a fatigue crack from an initial defect of the same order as the scale of the microstructure through to failure has been modelled using a representation of fatigue damage according to the Navarro–de los Rios (N–R) model. The fatigue processes are presented in the form of a fatigue damage map (FDM). It is shown how the map can be used to create a traditional S–N curve and to provide information suitable for estimating fatigue lifetimes under damage tolerant conditions.     

Weld residual stress effects on fatigue crack growth behaviour of aluminium alloy 2024-T351

The interaction between residual stress and fatigue crack growth rate has been investigated in middle tension and compact tension specimens machined from a variable polarity plasma arc welded aluminium alloy 2024-T351 plate. The specimens were tested at three levels of applied constant stress intensity factor range. Crack closure was continuously monitored using an eddy current transducer and the residual stresses were measured with neutron diffraction. The effect of the residual stresses on the fatigue crack behaviour was modelled for both specimen geometries using two approaches: a crack closure approach where the effective stress intensity factor was computed; and a residual stress approach where the effect of the residual stresses on the stress ratio was considered. Good correlation between the experimental results and the predictions were found for the effective stress intensity factor approach at a high stress intensity factor range whereas the residual stress approach yielded good predictions at low and moderate stress intensity factor ranges. In particular, the residual stresses accelerated the fatigue crack growth rate in the middle tension specimen whereas they decelerated the growth rate in the compact tension sample, demonstrating the importance of accurately evaluating the residual stresses in welded specimens which will be used to produce damage tolerance design data.     

The life prediction for 2024‐T3 aluminium alloy subjected to corrosion fatigue

Abstract

Fatigue life prediction of sheet specimens of 2024‐T3 aluminium alloy subjected to cyclic bending and a corrosive environment is achieved by Monte Carlo simulation in which three steps are carried out. Firstly, the crack distribution function and crack size distribution function are obtained by experiments. Secondly, the stress distribution and the interaction of cracks as well as the crack propagation rate is found by dislocation functions. Thirdly, a coalescence criterion is proposed to predict the formation of cross surface cracks. The predicted results agree well with experimental results.     

Desmutting of aluminium alloy 2024-T3 using rare earth electrolyte

Abstract

The desmutting of 2024-T3 aluminium alloy using a new rare earth desmutting solution has been studied by SEM and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It was evident from SEM that, during desmutting, there was dissolution and etching of both the intermetallics and the basic oxide scale left after alkaline cleaning. In addition, copper from the intermetallics was deposited as a residue on the surface of the desmutted alloy. The residue, in the form of precipitates ～200 nm in size, proved to be copper with an oxide coating. The addition of oxidants such as hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂ ) and potassium persulphate (K₂ S₂O₈ ) removed these precipitates. It was apparent from XPS that the surface was coated with a thin 6 nm aluminium oxide after desmutting.     

A predictive fatigue life model for anodized 7050 aluminium alloy

The objective of this study is to predict fatigue life of anodized 7050 aluminum alloy specimens. In the case of anodized 7050-T7451 alloy, fractographic observations of fatigue tested specimens showed that pickling pits were the predominant sites for crack nucleation and subsequent failure. It has been shown that fatigue failure was favored by the presence of multiple cracks. From these experimental results, a fatigue life predictive model has been developed including multi-site crack consideration, coalescence between neighboring cracks, a short crack growth stage and a long crack propagation stage. In this model, all pickling pits are considered as potential initial flaws from which short cracks could nucleate if stress conditions allow. This model is built from experimental topography measurements of pickled surfaces which allowed to detect the pits and to characterize their sizes (depth, length, width). From depth crack propagation point of view, the pickling pits are considered as stress concentrator during the only short crack growth stage. From surface crack propagation point of view, machining roughness is equally considered as stress concentrator and its influence is taken into account during the all propagation stage. The predictive model results have been compared to experimental fatigue data obtained for anodized 7050-T7451 specimens. Predictions and experimental results are in good agreement.     

The cyclic stress behaviour of a 355 stainless steel 2024-T8 aluminium alloy

The push-pull fatigue behaviour of a 355 stainless steel 2024-T8 aluminium alloy composite, has been studied at constant stress. The S-N curve shows a fatigue strength of 20 kg/mm². Microhardness measurements reveal that little fatigue hardening takes place within the matrix; also, hardness numbers are similar in fatigued specimens, irrespective of the applied stress amplitude.The increase in damping capacity for increasing stress amplitudes, is attributed to increased delamination at the fibre-matrix interface, in the early fatigue stages. This result is also confirmed by optical microscopy. It is inferred that the sequence of failure weakness in the composite is: fibre-matrix interface, matrix and, finally, fibres.A fatigue strength/tensile strength ratio of 0.16 for this material is noticeably low, but fatigue properties of the composite can be improved by enhancing the fibre-matrix bonding.     

Electrochemical study of the corrosion behavior of Ce sealing of anodized 2024 aluminum alloy

The technological process of Ce sealing of anodized LY12 (2024) alloy is introduced in this paper. The corrosion behavior of the film is studied by polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The results show that the coating remains passive at the potential range from the open circuit potential (−780 mV) to −250 mV. After immersing the sample in NaCl solution for 6 days, the outer layer Ce conversion coating begins to loose its anticorrosive property. The inner Ce sealing anodized film is not corroded until 60 days immersion. Thus, the inner layer Ce sealing anodized film takes the leading role of the corrosion protection for LY12 alloy.     

Influence of grain boundaries misorientation angle on intergranular corrosion in 2024-T3 aluminium

The special attention has been paid to the influence of misorientation angle of a random grain boundary (GB) on susceptibility to intergranular attack. The detailed observations of the microstructure of the intergranular corrosion (IGC) in 2024-T3 aluminium alloy (AA2024-T3) subjected to galvanic corrosion tests in two different solutions containing chloride ions (0.1 M and 0.5 M NaCl) were carried out using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The Electron Backscattered Diffraction (EBSD) technique was used to determine the grain boundary character distribution (GBCD) in the initial sample and a GBCD of corroded grain boundaries on a sample subjected to the corrosion test. The results are discussed in terms of the influence of the misorientation angle on the susceptibility of the grain boundaries to corrosion.     

Effect of cutting speed and tool rake angle on the fatigue life of 2024-T351 aluminium alloy

Ring-shaped specimens of 2054-T351 aluminium alloy were machined orthogonally on a lathe equipped with a quick-stop device at cutting speeds of 0.5–1.5 m s^?1 with tools having positive rake angles in the range 10–30°. The machined specimens were then fatigued at a selected stress and the resulting fatigue lives were compared with that of the virgin material. The surfaces of the specimens were examined using optical and scanning electron microscopy.The fatigue life of the machined specimens was found to increase with increasing cutting speed or tool rake angle. The fatigue life of the specimens machined at higher cutting speeds was higher than that of the virgin material, due to the presence of compressive residual stresses in the surface layers. At lower cutting speeds the surface damage was so severe that, in spite of the presence of compressive residual stresses in the surface layers, the fatigue life of the machined specimens was lower than that of the virgin material.     

Load interaction effects on fatigue crack propagation in 2024-T3 aluminum alloy

Variable amplitude fatigue studies have been conducted within a linear-elastic fracture mechanics framework in order to systematically examine the effect of complex loading on fatigue crack retardation in 2024-T3 aluminum alloy. Complex loading conditions were simulated by introducing a second tensile or compressive peak load after the crack had extended various distances, a', into the region affected by a previously applied high load excursion.

Maximum interaction between single peak overloads resulted when the two peak load cycles were separated by a small distance, a' _min, where the fatigue crack propagation rate resulting from a single overload reached a minimum. This behavior was attributed in part to interference of tensile displacements produced during the first peak load cycle which was verified from fractographic observations. Crack growth rate retardation was related also to the development of a favorable compressive residual stress at the crack tip. Peak loads were found to act as completely isolated events only when they were separated by a distance approximately three times the plastic zone size resulting from a single overload. Comparable findings resulted when 10 cycle block overloads were employed in place of single peak excursions.

When a single peak overload was followed by a compressive cycle, retardation was found to decrease to a minimum; however, when the loading sequence was reversed, the effect was less damaging. In addition, as the distance between positive and negative peak loads was increased, the number of delay cycles quickly approached that associated with a single high load excursion.     

Fatigue of aluminium alloy 2024-T351 in humid and dry air

Reversed bending fatigue tests conducted on specimens of aluminium alloy 2024-T351 in dry and humid air at stress levels of 248, 276, 290, 317 and 359 MPa showed that at low stress amplitude humid air reduces the fatigue life by as much as 21%. Mirco-hardness tests showed that the reduction in fatigue life is primarily attributed to localized hydrogen-induced overageing. SEM analysis and microhardness data were combined with past studies to propose a mechanism for environmentally induced fatigue in aluminium alloy 2024-T351 over a wide range of stress levels.     

The effect of frequency on fatigue crack propagation rate and striation spacing in 2024-T3 aluminium alloy and SM-50 steel

The effect of loading frequency on fatigue crack propagation rate and striation spacing in 2024-T3 aluminium alloy and SM-50 steel was studied at room temperature. The fatigue crack propagation rate is expressed experimentally by the equation: $\text{dc/dN = AΔK}{}^3\text{?}{}^{\mathrm{?\lambda }}$ and striation spacing, s by the following formula: $\text{s = BΔK}{}^5\text{s?}{}^{\mathrm{?\lambda }}$, where ?= loading frequency, λ = 0.08~0.14 and γ = 0'06~0?12.Fractographical studies were made.The ln dc/dN?lnΔK straight line and the ln s?lnΔK straight line intersect each other. That is, dc/dN < s below the stress intensity factor at the intersecting point, and dc/dN >s above the critical stress intensity factor. It is to be noted that dc/dN and s will not coincide except the very narrow region near the intersecting point.The formula of dc/dN experimentally obtained in this article has quite the same type as indicated by the dislocation dynamic theory of fatigue crack propagation.     

Effects of constituent particle clusters on fatigue behavior of 2024-T3 aluminum alloy

Fatigue tests of 2024-T3 aluminum sheet were run to determine the effects of constituent particles and particle clusters on fatigue life for all three metallurgical planes. In addition, a model to account for crack coalescence within particle clusters was developed to determine if particle clusters can be more damaging than single particles as crack nucleation sites. On the LS and ST planes, cracks formed primarily at single particles or holes, indicating that coalescence was not an issue. On the LT plane, coalescence was observed when the particle clusters were aligned with the crack growth direction, and the life was reduced about 30%. The crack coalescence and growth model showed that varying the initial separation between two particles (potential cracks) causes at most about a 15–20% change in fatigue life over a separation range of 5 μm to 1200 μm for a pair of 50 μm² particles.     

潮湿空气环境对2024-T3铝合金疲劳性能的影响

采用2024-T3铝合金含中心孔试件进行了实验室空气环境和潮湿空气环境下的疲劳寿命实验及升降法实验,研究了潮湿空气环境对2024-T3铝合金疲劳性能的影响.结果表明,潮湿空气环境显著降低了2024-T3铝合金的疲劳性能,潮湿空气环境对其疲劳寿命特征值和疲劳强度均值的影响系数分别为0.6059和0.8722;在潮湿空气环境中疲劳寿命的分散性变大,用疲劳寿命的中值或特征值得到的腐蚀影响系数进行可靠度95%的腐蚀环境下的寿命修正,将得到偏危险的结果.用潮湿空气环境对基本可靠性寿命的影响系数由标准S-N曲线折算得到的对疲劳强度的影响系数与升降法测得的对疲劳强度的影响系数基本一致,在潮湿空气环境下标准S-N曲线参数仍然适用.     

Microstructural aspects and mechanical properties of friction stir welded AA2024-T3 aluminium alloy sheet

In the present work, aluminium alloy AA2024-T3 thin sheets were joined by the Friction Stir Welding – FSW – process. Butt joints were obtained in 1.6 mm sheets, using an advancing speed of 700 mm/min. These joints were characterised by optical, scanning electron microscopy, tensile and fatigue mechanical tests. The results showed that the resulting microstructure is free of defects and the tensile strength of the welded joints is up to 98% of the base-metal strength. Fatigue tests result indicates an equivalent stress intensity factor (kt) of approximately 2.0 for the welded samples. Consequently, the FSW process can be advantageous compared to conventional riveting for airframe applications.     

The effects of load sequencing on the fatigue life of 2024-T3 aluminum alloy

Current fatigue life analysis of metallic rotorcraft dynamic components are based on a linear cumulative damage concept known as Miner's rule. This type of analysis assumes that there is no load sequence effect that occurs during the fatigue loading history. Past studies have shown that linear cumulative damage analysis of fatigue tests has produced life predictions that have been conservative as well as unconservative. Some of this uncertainty has been attributed to the fact that load sequence effects do exist in most fatigue load spectra. As a first phase the study reported herein was done to evaluate the load sequencing effects that could exist in commercial fixed-wing fatigue load spectra. To evaluate these effects a typical commercial wing spectra was reordered using a scheme that had previously been shown in fatigue block loading to produce the shortest fatigue lives. This scheme starts with the smallest load range in a load sequence and proceeds in ascending order until the largest load range is reached. Tests on open hole test specimens made of 2024-T3 aluminum alloy were conducted on the normal sequence of loads as well as the reordered scheme called lo–hi. Test results showed no significant differences between the fatigue lives of the normal load sequence and the reordered load sequence. A computer program called FASTRAN which calculates total fatigue life using only crack growth data was shown to predict the fatigue life of the spectrum tests with acceptable accuracy.     

Material flow and mechanical behaviour of dissimilar AA2024-T3 and AA7075-T6 aluminium alloys friction stir welds

The scope of this investigation is to evaluate the effect of joining parameters on the mechanical properties, microstructural features and material flow of dissimilar aluminium alloys (3 mm-thick AA2024-T3 and AA7075-T6 sheets) joints produced by friction stir welding. Mechanical performance has been investigated in terms of hardness and tensile testing. Material flow using the stop action technique has also been investigated in order to understand the main features of the mixing process. No onion ring formation has been observed; the boundary between both base materials at the stir zone is clearly delineated, i.e., no material mixing is observed. A non-stable rotational flow inside the threads has been identified due to the formation of a cavity on the rear of the pin. Microstructural observation has revealed the development of a recrystallised fine-grained stir zone, with two different grain sizes resulting from the two different base materials.