Crystallographic study of fatigue cracking in Ni3Al(CrB) single crystal

The effect of crystallographic orientation on the fatigue-crack initiation and propagation in Ni₃Al(CrB) single crystal was studied using a compact-tension specimen. Stage I crystallographic cracking and cleavage fracture were observed. Crystallographic cracking can occur on two or more {111} slip planes simultaneously. It was shown that the threshold stress intensity for crack initiation from the notch root exhibits a dependence on crystallographic orientation. In addition, an effect of orientation on microcracking behavior was also shown. The number of {111} planes intersecting with each other determines the different microscopic features on the cleavage fracture surface.     

Fatigue crack propagation in Ni-base superalloy single crystals under multiaxial cyclic loads

The effects of crystallographic orientation and stress state on the multiaxial fatigue behavior of MAR-M200* single crystals were examined. Using notched tubular specimens subjected to combined tension/torsion cyclic loads, crack growth rates were determined at ambient temperature as functions of stress intensity range, the shear stress range-to-normal stress range ratio, and crystallographic orientation. Comparison of crack growth data at the same effective ΔK reveals a weak dependence of the crack growth rate on both the tube axis and the notch orientation. For a given set of tube axis and notch orientation, the crack growth rate might or might not vary with the applied stress state, depending on whether roughness-induced crack closure is present. In most cases, subcritical cracking occurs either along a single 111 slip plane or on ridges formed with two 111 slip planes. Neither fracture mode is altered by a change in the applied stress state. This complex crack growth behavior will be discussed in terms of the crack-tip stress field, slip morphology, and crack closure. Formerly with Southwest Research Institute     

Slow crystallographic fatigue crack growth in a nickel-base alloy

Fatigue crack propagation rates at very low cyclic stress intensity levels (1 to 3 MNm^-372) have been measured in cube-oriented, planar slip nickel-base superalloy monocrystals using a high frequency (20 kHz) resonant fatigue testing technique. It is found that crack propagation is entirely along the crystallographic slip planes and the crack growth rate does not drop off into a threshold behavior but follows a power law with a power law exponent close to 4, which is similar to the functional dependency observed at higher cyclic stress intensity levels in similar superalloys. The observed behaviors are discussed with respect to a new theory on threshold and the effects of strong crystallographic constraints on crack propagation behavior.     

Deformation structure and subsurface fatigue crack generation in austenitic steels at low temperature

In order to progress in the understanding of fatigue crack generation for high-strength alloys, the subsurface fatigue crack initiation sites were characterized and the deformation structure was investigated for the solution-treated 24Cr-15Ni-4Mn-0.3N and 32Mn-7Cr-0.1N austenitic steels. High-cycle fatigue tests of those steels were carried out at 4, 77, and 293 K. Subsurface crack initiation was detected in the lower-peak stress and/or in the longer-life range at the three temperatures. The subsurface crack initiation sites were intergranularly formed. The localized deformation and/or strain concentration by dislocation arrays of the (111)–〈110〉 system assisted intergranular cracking due to incompatibility at grain boundaries. Dislocation movements were restricted to their slip planes. Even at the lower stress level, dislocations had generated in more than one slip system and piled up to a grain boundary. The peak cyclic stress was lowered with the increasing size of the subsurface crack initiation site. The dependence of the subsurface crack size on the peak cyclic stress was discussed.     

Fatigue crack growth in MAR-M200 single crystals

The effects of crystallographic orientation on the fatigue crack growth behavior of MAR-M200* single crystals were examined. Using compact-tension specimens tested at 20 Hz, fatigue crack growth rates were determined at ambient temperature at minimum stress to maximum stress ratios,R, of 0.1 and 0.5. In most cases, subcritical crack growth occurred either along a single {111} slip plane or a combination of {111} planes. The mode of cracking was generally mixed and contained mode I, II, and III components. Considerable crack deflection and branching were also observed. Some fracture surfaces were found to contain a significant amount of asperities and, in some specimens, black debris. Based on Auger spectroscopic analyses and the fracture surface appearance, it appears that the black debris represented oxides formed due to rubbing of the fracture surfaces. Using stress intensity solutions obtained based on the Boundary-Integral-Equation technique, an effective ΔK was successfully used for correlating the crack growth rate data. The results indicate that the effect of crystallographic orientation on crack growth rate can be explained on the basis of crack deflection, branching, and roughness-induced crack closure. Formerly with Southwest Research Institute     

Fatigue crack path prediction in UDIMET 720 nickel-based alloy single crystals

The effect of orientation, applied stress state, environment, and temperature on the crack growth and crack-path behavior of single-crystal specimens of UDIMET 720 has been examined. Stage I cracking has been promoted by mixed-mode loading, plane stress, and vacuum conditions; increasing the test temperature to 600 °C does not suppress stage I crack growth in vacuum. Consideration of the local resolved shear-stress intensity and local resolved normal-stress intensity for each slip system as it intersects the nominal crack-growth plane allows the prediction of stage I crack paths, clarifying the importance of secondary single-crystal testing orientation (i.e., nominal crack-growth direction as well as effective tensile axis). A combination of both opening and shearing are found to promote stage I crack growth, and boundary conditions have been established within which stage I cracking is promoted. Highly deflected stage I cracking gives rise to significant shielding effects, but under suitable mixed-mode loading, highly oriented, coplanar stage I crack growth can be produced. Intrinsic stage I cracking under mixed-mode loading appears to be greatly accelerated compared with mode I-dominated stage II crack growth for comparable stress-intensity levels.     

Initiation and growth of small fatigue cracks in a Ni-base superalloy

This article reports research on the initiation and growth of small fatigue cracks in a nickel-base superalloy (produced commercially by INCO as INCOLOY* 908) at 298 and 77 K. The experimental samples were square-bar specimens with polished surfaces, loaded in fourpoint bending. The crack initiation sites, crack growth rates, and microstructural crack paths were determined, as was the large-crack growth behavior, both at constant load ratio (R) and at constant maximum stress intensity (K _max). Small surface cracks initiated predominantly at (Nb,Ti)_xC_y, inclusion particles, and, less frequently, at grain boundaries. Small cracks grew predominantly along {111} planes in individual grains and were perturbed or arrested at grain boundaries. For values of ΔK above the large-crack threshold, ΔK _th, the average rate of smallcrack growth was reasonably close to that of large cracks tested under closure-free conditions. However, short-crack growth rates varied widely, reflecting the local heterogeneity of the microstructure. The threshold cyclic stress (Δσ_th) and the threshold cyclic stress intensity (ΔKσ_th) for small surface cracks were measured as functions of the crack size, 2c. The results suggest that a combination of the fatigue endurance limit and the threshold stress intensity for closure-free growth of large cracks can be used to define a fatigue-safe load regime. formerly with Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory     

The influence of temperature and cyclic frequency on the fatigue fracture of cube oriented nickel-base superalloy single crystals

Carbon-free single crystals of Mar-M200 were tested in pulsating tension, stress-controlled fatigue at temperatures and frequencies ranging from 1033 to 1255°K and 0.033 to 1058 Hz, respectively. The axis of loading was parallel to [001], the natural growth direction for directionally-solidified nickel-base alloys. Except for the lowest frequency at the higher temperatures where creep damage was extensive, crack initiation occurred at subsurface microporosity. Cracks initiated and propagated in the Stage I mode (crystallographic cracking on the {111} slip planes) at the lower temperatures and higher frequencies, whereas Stage (perpendicular to the principal stress axis) crack initiation and propagation was found at the higher temperatures and lower frequencies. Often a transition from Stage II to Stage I crack propagation was observed. It was established that Stage I cracking occurred under conditions of heterogeneous, planar slip and Stage II cracking under conditions of homogeneous, wavy slip. A thermally activated recovery process with an activation energy of 368 KJ/mole (88 Kcal/mole) determined the instantaneous slip character,i.e., wavy or planar, at the crack tip. In addition, it was found that an optimum frequency existed for maximizing fatigue life. At frequencies below the optimum, creep damage was detrimental, while at frequencies greater than the optimum, intense, planar slip was detrimental. The optimum frequency increased with increasing temperature.     

A crystallographic study of fatigue damage in titanium

Large grain specimens with average grain size of 0.0127 m made from commercial purity titanium were subjected to a torsional cyclic strain at two different amplitudes: ±0.008 and =0.003. Fatigue damage was studied by scanning electron microscopy and crystal orientations were determined by X-ray diffraction and surface trace analysis. It was found that cyclic strain amplitude influenced the deformation mode and the nature of the macroscopic crack propagation. At high strain amplitudes the normal slip processes were observed and microcracking was observed on the (0001), and {1100} slip planes. The macroscopic crack propagation was dominated by the Stage I shear mode; however, some Stage II tensile mode propagation was observed after extensive Stage I propagation. At low strain amplitude twin plane cracking was observed on the {1011}, {1010}, and {1123} planes in addition to normal slip plane cracking, and the macroscopic crack propagation was dominated by the Stage II tensile mode. However, microscopic examination showed the macroscopic tensile mode cracks to be composed of microscopic shear mode cracks along slip planes and twin planes. At both low and high strain amplitudes cracking was observed on the {1120} plane which is neither a slip or twin plane in titanium. It is proposed that this cracking mode was a result of a dislocation reaction forming sessile dislocations on the {1120} plane.     

Microstructural effects and crack closure during near

Near threshold fatigue crack growth behavior of a high strength steel under different tempered conditions was investigated. The important aspect of the study is to compare the crack growth behavior in terms of the closure-free component of the threshold stress intensity range, ΔK _th,eff While a systematic variation in the absolute threshold stress intensity range with yield strength was observed, the trend in the intrinsic ΔK _th or ΔK _th,eff exhibited a contrasting behavior. This has been explained as due to the difference in fracture modes during near threshold crack growth at different temper levels. It is shown that in a high strength and high strain hardening microstructure, yielding along crystallographic slip planes is difficult and hence it exhibited a flat transgranular fracture. In a steel with low strain hardening characteristics and relatively low strength, a tendency to crystallographic planar slip is observed consequently resulting in high ΔK _th. Occurrence of a predominantly intergranular fracture is shown to reduce intrinsic ΔK _th drastically and increase crack growth rates. Also shown is that crack closure can occur in high strength steels under certain fracture morphologies. A ‘transgranular planar slip’ during the inception of a ‘microstructure sensitive’ crack growth is essential to promote intergranular and faceted fracture. The occurrence of a maximum in the fraction of intergranular fracture during threshold crack growth corresponds to the ΔK value at which the cyclic plastic zone size becomes equal to the prior austenitic grain size.     

A model for the initiation of hydrogen embrittlement cracking at notches in gaseous hydrogen environments

A model for the initiation of hydrogen embrittlement cracking in gaseous hydrogen environments is presented. The model is based on the stress-induced diffusion of hydrogen atoms to the regions of high triaxial stress ahead of a plastically strained notch. The influence of yield stress and notch geometry on the apparent threshold stress intensity for embrittlement are considered and derived analytically. The time dependence for crack initiation for apparent stress intensities above the threshold is derived from a simple diffusion model. The results of the model are in agreement with reported hydrogen embrittlement phenomena.     

Plastic zones and fatigue-crack closure under plane-strain double slip

The results of a systematic investigation involving forward and reversed plastic zones for a growing fatigue crack under plane-strain double-slip conditions are presented. The study focuses on plastic-deformation fields outside the small-scale yielding regime. The size of the macroscopic forward plastic zone is found to be nearly proportional to the square of the applied-stress intensity over the critical resolved shear stress. The size of the forward plastic zone is also found to depend on the angles of the two microscopic slip directions with respect to the crack line. When the microscopic slip directions are kept symmetric about the crack-line normal, and the angle between them is varied, the forward plastic zone sizes hardly vary. However, when the angle between the slip lines is kept constant, and both planes are simultaneously rotated, the forward plastic zone sizes vary by a factor of three. The ratio of the reversed plastic zone size to the forward plastic zone size is also found to be dependent on the orientation of the microscopic slip planes. The ratio varies when the angle between the microscopic slip planes is changed, or when the orientations of both planes are rotated simultaneously. Stationary cracks are generally found to have larger reversed plastic zones than fatigue cracks, and the difference is attributed to crack closure.     

The influence of temperature and cyclic frequency on the fatigue fracture of cube oriented nickel-base superalloy single crystals

Carbon-free single crystals of Mar-M200 were tested in pulsating tension, stress-controlled fatigue at temperatures and frequencies ranging from 1033 to 1255°K and 0.033 to 1058 Hz, respectively. The axis of loading was parallel to [001], the natural growth direction for directionally-solidified nickel-base alloys. Except for the lowest frequency at the higher temperatures where creep damage was extensive, crack initiation occurred at subsurface microporosity. Cracks initiated and propagated in the Stage I mode (crystallographic cracking on the {111} slip planes) at the lower temperatures and higher frequencies, whereas Stage (perpendicular to the principal stress axis) crack initiation and propagation was found at the higher temperatures and lower frequencies. Often a transition from Stage II to Stage I crack propagation was observed. It was established that Stage I cracking occurred under conditions of heterogeneous, planar slip and Stage II cracking under conditions of homogeneous, wavy slip. A thermally activated recovery process with an activation energy of 368 KJ/mole (88 Kcal/mole) determined the instantaneous slip character,i.e., wavy or planar, at the crack tip. In addition, it was found that an optimum frequency existed for maximizing fatigue life. At frequencies below the optimum, creep damage was detrimental, while at frequencies greater than the optimum, intense, planar slip was detrimental. The optimum frequency increased with increasing temperature.     

Effect of cross slip on crystallographic cracking in anisotropic single crystals

The effect of cross slip on cracking along coplanar slip bands in anisotropic single crystals is examined. By considering the activation of slip due to the stress field at a crack tip, it is demonstrated that:

• 1.(1) cross slip would not be effective in relaxing elastic normal stresses ahead of a crack propagating along coplanar slip bands, and
• 2.(2) the unrelaxed elastic normal stresses can be plastically relaxed by out-of-plane noncoplanar slip only.

This results in a build-up of large normal stresses ahead of the coplanar crack. The magnitude of the maximum normal stress depends on the size of the noncoplanar secondary slip plastic zone and elastic anisotropy. Based on the presence of relatively high normal stresses on both the coplanar and the cross-slip planes, a rationale for explaining the occurrence of simultaneous cracking on two {111} cross-slip planes and the formation of fracture surface ridges in Mar-M200 single crystal is proposed.     

Orientation and temperature dependence of some mechanical properties of the single-crystal nickel-base superalloy René N4: Part II. Low cycle fatigue behavior

The low cycle fatigue (LCF) properties of a single-crystal nickel-base superalloy, René* N4, have been examined at 760 and 980 °C in air. Specimens having crystallographic orientations near [001], [01l], [111], [023], [236], and [145] were tested in fully reversed, total-strain-controlled LCF tests at a frequency of 0.1 Hz. At 760 °C, this alloy exhibited orientation dependent tension-compression anisotropies of yielding which continued to failure. Also at 760 °C, orientations exhibiting predominately single slip exhibited serrated yielding for many cycles. At 980 °C, orientation dependencies of yielding behavior were smaller. In spite of the tension-compression anisotropies, cyclic stress range-strain range behavior was not strongly orientation dependent for either test temperature. Fatigue life on a total strain range basis was highly orientation dependent at both 760 and 980 °C and was related chiefly to elastic modulus, low modulus orientations having longer lives. Stage I crack growth on (111) planes was dominant at 760 °C, while Stage II crack growth occurred at 980 °C. Crack initiation generally occurred at near-surface micropores, but occasionally at oxidation spikes in the 980 °C tests.     

Crack growth for the double slip plane crack model-I. The R-curve

The double slip plane (DSP) crack model of Weertman, Lin and Thomson has been used to obtain crack growth equations for the mode II or III crack under a monotonically increasing stress (the R-curve) in this paper. [In a companion paper the growth under cyclic stress (the Paris fatigue crack growth equation) is determined.] The success of the analysis depends upon the fact that the DSP crack closely approximates a Bilby-Cottrell-Swinden (BCS) crack when the slip zone is large compared with the slip plane to crack plane spacing. Consequently the dislocation distribution on the slip planes approximates the BCS crack one ahead of the crack tip. Behind the crack tip a result fortuitous for the analysis is found that the gradient of the dislocation density on a slip plane is proportional to the shear stress on the slip plane. The results obtained are: if the friction stress on a slip plane is constant the crack never propagates catastrophically. Instead crack extension occurs which is proportional to K² where rK is the stress intensity factor. Were the surface energy of a solid to be suddenly reduced, as it might be by the sudden introduction of an active environment, the distance the tip of a stressed stationary crack jumps is proportional to K. The distance jumped, for a large drop in surface energy, is smaller than the crack advance that occurs if the active environment were always present and the crack is monotonically loaded to the same value of K. If work hardening of the friction stress takes place stable crack growth takes place up to a critical K_c value. The R-curve equation is given by an integral which is simple in form but requires a numerical integration or series expansion. The critical K_c value is proportional to the critical K_cb stress intensity factor of a Griffith crack raised to the power (m + 1 )/2m where m is the power exponent of the simulated plastic stress-strain curve. We believe that this paper demonstrates the double slip plane crack model is the first crack model since the Griffith crack model and its variants that can give an explicit fracture equation starting from first principles.     

Fatigue crack propagation in a directionally-solidified nickel-base alloy

High cycle fatigue crack growth rates have been measured in the cast nickel-base alloy IN 738 LC in directionally-solidified form, at room and high temperature and for crack propagation both parallel and perpendicular to the solidification direction. The resistance of this material to crack propagation has been compared with conventionally-cast material of the same composition. The considerable differences in observed growth rates may be understood in terms of the effects of chemical segregation, crack branching and crystallographic fracture. In particular, the high-temperature cyclic fracture toughness for crack growth perpendicular to the solidification direction is higher than in conventionally-cast material as cracks tend to deviate along the segregated interdendritic regions. However the room temperature threshold stress intensity amplitude is low because fatigue crack growth occurs on definite crystallographic planes.     

Fatigue crack propagation in a directionally-solidified nickel-base alloy

High cycle fatigue crack growth rates have been measured in the cast nickel-base alloy IN 738 LC in directionally-solidified form, at room and high temperature and for crack propagation both parallel and perpendicular to the solidification direction. The resistance of this material to crack propagation has been compared with conventionally-cast material of the same composition. The considerable differences in observed growth rates may be understood in terms of the effects of chemical segregation, crack branching and crystallographic fracture. In particular, the high-temperature cyclic fracture toughness for crack growth perpendicular to the solidification direction is higher than in conventionally-cast material as cracks tend to deviate along the segregated interdendritic regions. However the room temperature threshold stress intensity amplitude is low because fatigue crack growth occurs on definite crystallographic planes.     

The effect of fretting and environment on fatigue crack initiation and early propagation in a quenched and tempered 4130 Steel

Fretting fatigue studies were performed on quenched and tempered 4130 steel in laboratory air and in argon as functions of relative slip displacement, normal pressure and applied cyclic stress. Significant reductions in fatigue resistance were observed at all stress levels and increased with increasing normal pressures. However, a minimum in resistance was observed for relative slip magnitudes of 20 to 30 μm. Inert environments improve fatigue resistance under fretting conditions. Metallographic observations indicated that subsurface cracking was generally observed and that stress concentrations associated with this cracking resulted in deviations to and away from the faying surfaces. Fretting cracks which deviated into the alloy become initiated fatigue cracks. A mechanical model is proposed for fretting induced fatigue crack initiation which suggests that this phenomenon is a simple extension of the basic fretting process.