Fatigue and fracture of a Ni–P amorphous alloy thin film on the micrometer scale

Fracture and fatigue tests have been performed on micro‐sized specimens for microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) or micro system technology (MST) applications. Cantilever beam type specimens with dimensions of 10 × 12 × 50 μm³, approximately 1/1000th the size of ordinary‐sized specimens, were prepared from a Ni–P amorphous thin film by focused ion beam machining. Fatigue crack growth and fracture toughness tests were carried out in air at room temperature, using a mechanical testing machine developed for micro‐sized specimens. In fracture toughness tests, fatigue pre‐cracks were introduced ahead of the notches. Fatigue crack growth resistance curves were obtained from the measurement of striation spacing on the fatigue surface, with closure effects on the fatigue crack growth also being observed for micro‐sized specimens. Once fatigue crack growth occurs, the specimens fail within one thousand cycles. This indicates that the fatigue life of micro‐sized specimens is mainly dominated by a crack initiation process, also suggesting that even a micro‐sized surface flaw may be an initiation site for fatigue cracks which will shorten the fatigue life of micro‐sized specimens. As a result of fracture toughness tests, the values of plane strain fracture toughness, K_IC, were not obtained because the criteria of plane strain were not satisfied by this specimen size. As the plane strain requirements are determined by the stress intensity, K, and by the yield stress of the material, it is difficult for micro‐sized specimens to satisfy these requirements. Plane‐stress‐ and plane‐strain‐dominated regions were clearly observed on the fracture surfaces and their sizes were consistent with those estimated by fracture mechanics calculations. This indicates that fracture mechanics is still valid for such micro‐sized specimens. The results obtained in this investigation should be considered when designing actual MEMS/MST devices.     

Determination of Remnant Residual Stresses in Fracture Toughness Specimens Extracted From Large Components

Abstract: Material fracture toughness data are required to undertake fitness‐for‐service assessments of engineering components containing cracks. Calculations of crack driving force in the component are compared with material fracture toughness values to assess the likelihood of subsequent failure. Experimental measurements of fracture toughness are usually made on small specimens extracted from a larger ‘parent’ component following strict experimental guidelines, formulated to ensure measured toughness values in the fracture specimens are appropriate for use in the full‐size component. Implicit in this procedure is the assumption that the extracted fracture specimens contain no residual stresses, with any residual stresses in the full‐size component being accounted for in the crack driving force calculation. This paper considers a recent conjecture within the structural integrity community that the extracted fracture specimens may themselves contain a residual stress field which may influence measurements of fracture toughness. This could potentially lead to a degree of ‘double accounting’, i.e. the effect of residual stresses may be included in both the material toughness and the crack driving force. This, in turn, could lead to unnecessary conservatism in safety assessments. To explore this conjecture, the results of numerical modelling and neutron diffraction measurements of residual stresses in fracture specimens extracted from two different welded parent components are presented. One of the components is significantly larger than the extracted specimens, with the other being marginally larger than the extracted specimens. Results confirm the intuitive expectation that the residual stresses in specimens extracted from much larger components are negligible, whereas if the dimensions of the extracted specimens are comparable with the larger component then significant residual stresses may remain.     

Measurement and modelling of residual stress effects on cracks

Defects that form by mechanisms such as fatigue and stress corrosion cracking are influenced both by external loads on engineering structures and internal, residual stresses that are generated during the manufacture and operation. This paper describes a programme of experimental and analytical work on a high‐strength, low‐toughness aluminium alloy (AL2024‐T351) to assess the influence of residual stress on crack opening displacement (COD) and crack‐driving force (CDF) for a range of fatigue crack lengths in compact tension (CT) specimens containing a mechanically induced residual stress field. Comparison of experimentally measured and numerically predicted CODs, at the mid‐plane and surface of CT specimens, show generally good agreement for cracks introduced into the finite‐element model in a progressive, element‐by‐element manner. Cracks introduced in a simultaneous manner give larger than observed CODs. The CDFs for the progressively introduced crack are always smaller than for simultaneously introduced. These results have implications for the assessment of initiation for slowly growing cracks.     

Fatigue-crack propagation characteristics of aluminum alloys in thick sections

Fatigue-crack propagation data have been obtained for a variety of aluminum alloys, tempers, and products in relatively thick sections of interest for large aircraft shapes. For the higher stress-intensity ranges, the alloys rate in about the same order with regard to resistance to fatigue crack propagation as with regard to plane-strain fractare toughness. However, for low stress intensity ranges (i.e. short cracks or low load ranges) the rate of fatigue-crack propagation was lowest for two alloys, 2020-T651 and 2014-T652. which have low plane-strain fracture toughness. The relative order for different specimen orientations was generally consistent with that based upon plane-strain fracture toughness. High humidity results in higher rates of fatigue-crack propagation, with the effect indicated to be largest for those alloys which are susceptible to stress corrosion cracking.     

On fractography of shallow and deep HY-100 cracked bend specimens

The influence of shallow cracks on the fracture behavior of structural components has been studied extensively in recent years. Finite element analyses have indicated dramatic differences in the crack-tip stress states between shallow and deep cracked bend specimens. In this study, an experimental program was carried out to investigate the fracture behavior of HY-100 steel containing various initial flow depths. Four a/w ratios ranging from 0.05 to 0.5 were chosen for the notched three-point bend tests. Test results showed that higher fracture toughness values are associated with specimens having shorter surface cracks. Also, fractographic studies indicated that two sets of dimples are present for a/w = 0.5 specimen, one set of equiaxed dimple for a/w = 0.05 specimen near the crack initiation zone. As the crack grows, increases in the volume fraction of the small dimple were observed. Finally, it showed that the characteristic features of surfaces can be correlated with the previous numerical predictions.     

THE EFFECT OF CATHODIC PROTECTION POTENTIAL ON CORROSION FATIGUE CRACK GROWTH RATE OF AN OFFSHORE STRUCTURAL STEEL

Abstract— Duplicate tests have been performed to determine the effect of cathodic protection potential on corrosion fatigue crack growth rate of a modern offshore structural steel, produced by thermo-mechanically controlled processes. The experiments were carried out using compact tension specimens exposed to artificial seawater at 10°C and subjected to constant amplitude loading at 0.35 Hz. Reproducible results showed that the merits of cathodic protection potentials are strongly dependent on stress intensity ratio R and stress intensity range Δ K . It appears that a specific value of cathodic potential may not give comprehensive protection against corrosion fatigue within the spectrum of variable amplitude loading experienced in service. Fractography showed the initiation of secondary cracks on the fracture surface to be associated with the dissolution of calcium sulphide inclusions, regardless of imposed cathodic potential.     

Fatigue and fracture toughness of aluminium alloys reinforced with SiC and alumina particles

The mechanisms and fracture mechanics of fatigue crack initiation and the growth of small and large fatigue cracks and fracture toughness are reviewed in this paper. It is concluded that: (1) there are many factors which can affect fatigue crack initiation, some of which are understood; (2) small and large fatigue cracks can be correlated with stress intensity factor if closure is excluded; and (3) fracture toughness is mainly related to matrix plasticity but is strongly influenced by particle characteristics.     

Zusammenwirken von Spannungsrißkorrosion und Ermüdung bei der Schwingungsrißkorrosion eines hochfesten Stahles

Conjoint Action of Stress Corrosion Cracking and Fatigue on Corrosion Fatigue of a High Strength Steel The corrosion fatigue characteristics of a high strength, martensitic steel in 0.5 n NaCl solution is investigated with regard to the fatigue and stress corrosion cracking behaviour of the material. Test parameters are stress ratio and frequency, testing is carried out with fracture mechanics methods, the crack surfaces are examined fractographically. An analysis of the results reveals that corrosion fatigue in high strength steel is caused by fatigue or by stress corrosion cracking, depending on the kinetics of the two processes. Fatigue and stress corrosion cracking do not act cumulative or additive. Instead, the kinetically faster process causes crack advance. The crack growth characteristics are interpreted with respect to the fractographic appearance of the crack surfaces. Corrosion fatigue cracks propagate either intergranular relative to the prior austenite grain boundaries as stress corrosion cracks do or transgranular like fatigue cracks, depending on the crack growth rates of the two processes. Fatigue and stress corrosion cracking do not interact, at least in a measurable degree, because of the different crack path of the two fracture processes. Results can be assessed quantitatively with the “process competition model”.     

基于边界效应理论确定热轧碳素钢的韧度与强度

该文研究确定热轧碳素钢的材料韧度与强度特性,提出一种确定热轧碳素钢材料的断裂韧度与屈服强度的模型及方法。建立了等效裂缝长度、名义应力等具体设计参数的计算表达式。通过相同尺寸而不同初始缝高比的单边拉伸Q235B热轧碳素钢板的系列试验,证明所提模型及方法的合理性与适用性。所提模型及方法只需由小尺寸单边裂缝钢板的拉伸试验测得的屈服荷载,即可同时确定出热轧碳素钢平面应力条件下的断裂韧度K_C及屈服强度σ_Y。采用该文所提方法确定热轧碳素钢的材料特性,试验试样不需要满足现行国内外规范对试验试样尺寸、型式,加载条件等的严格规定,试样不需要预制疲劳裂纹。     

Determination of fracture toughness from thin side-grooved specimens

Methods of determining fracture toughness from specimens of thickness lower than that required by ASTM Standard, E399 were studied using aluminum and titanium alloy specimens. In thin specimens in which crack growth initiation is clearly marked by a sudden change in the slope of the load-displacement curve, the stress intensity at the crack growth initiation point was found to be the same as the standard fracture toughness value. Crack growth initiation was more easily identifiable in the aluminum alloys than in the titanium alloy, although the latter was more brittle. Side grooves enable identification of crack growth initiation in thinner specimens, reducing considerably the thickness requirement for fracture toughness testing. A nearly straight crack front was found to be essential for obtaining reproducible results. Sharp and deep side grooves produced fatigue cracks leading at the edges.     

高温静疲劳法预制耐火材料断裂韧性试件原生裂纹

提出了一种预制耐火材料断裂韧性测试试件原生裂纹的新方法--高温静态疲劳法.其要点是把含切口的脆性耐火材料试件加热到其塑性变形温度范围,然后施加适当静载荷或交变载荷使其产生原生裂纹.研究了温度和应力对裂纹产生和扩展的影响.     

The failure of an armour faced conveyor connector

The combined use of modern metallurgical techniques for fracture examination, laboratory test data and fracture mechanics calculations allows metallurgical failures to be examined in a quantitative manner. Complex load histories and environments can result in more than one sub-critical cracking mechanism occurring in a component. Quantitative understanding of the rate determining cracking process is a necessary prerequisite to rectifying the problem. The following case study describes a connector from an armour faced conveyor which failed in service. The failure investigation involved fractography, stress analysis, material property evaluation and fracture mechanics calculations. Fractographic evidence indicated a stress corrosion failure mechanism. Calculations of critical crack sizes showed that stress corrosion cracking alone could not account for the fracture. It was concluded that the failure was due to a sequence of three cracking processes which preceded unstable ductile fracture. Firstly, frictional heating caused rubbing or quench cracks typically 0.5–1 mm deep. Secondly, corrosion fatigue cracks grew several millimetres allowing the third fracture process, stress corrosion cracking, (SCC) to initiate and grow. In the situation described here, this process was much faster than corrosion fatigue. The influence of defect size due to rubbing cracks and the influence of K_ISCC have been compared with the corrosion fatigue life of the component. An increase in K_ISCC and hence critical defect size for SCC has been shown to increase the corrosion fatigue life of the component by a large factor. A change in design would also alleviate the problem of SCC by reducing the static stress, which is the driving force for SCC.     

Fracture toughness of transverse cracks in graphite/epoxy laminates at cryogenic conditions

Stress singularity of a transverse crack normal to ply-interface in a composite laminate is investigated using analytical and finite element methods. Four-point bending tests were performed on single-notch bend specimens of graphite/epoxy laminates containing a transverse crack perpendicular to the ply-interface. The experimentally determined fracture loads were applied to the finite element model to estimate the fracture toughness. The procedures were repeated for specimens under cryogenic conditions. Although the fracture loads varied with specimen thickness, the critical stress intensity factor was constant for all the specimens indicating that the measured fracture toughness can be used to predict delamination initiation from transverse cracks. For a given crack length and laminate configuration, the fracture load at cryogenic temperature was significantly lower. The results indicate that fracture toughness does not change significantly at cryogenic temperatures, but the thermal stresses play a major role in fracture and initiation of delaminations from transverse cracks.     

Fatigue behaviour of bare and pre-corroded magnesium alloy AZ31

Constant amplitude fatigue tests have been performed using smooth specimens of a rolled AZ31 magnesium alloy in order to assess the fatigue behaviour of the material. The tests were periodically interrupted and replicas were taken from the surface of the specimens in order to reveal crack initiation and early crack propagation. Based on the derived S–N curve a very high stress sensitivity of the fatigue life can be concluded; it may be attributed to the inability of the material to accumulate fatigue damage in terms of cyclic plasticity at the early stage of fatigue. Fatigue cracks initiate already after few fatigue cycles between strain incompatibility points (e.g. grain boundaries) due to difficulties in satisfying the von Mises criterion. The initiation and propagation mechanisms of the fatigue cracks are characterized as cleavage. Furthermore, the corrosion susceptibility of the material has been investigated in a salt spray environment. It becomes evident that the presence of corrosion damage, in terms of corrosion pitting, results in the development of stress concentration, facilitating essentially the initiation and propagation of fatigue cracks. Thus, the fatigue limit is reduced to 50% of the respective value of the un-corroded material.     

ELASTIC–PLASTIC ANALYSIS OF THE FATIGUE LIMIT FOR A MATERIAL WITH SMALL FLAWS

Abstract Fatigue tests were carried out on mild steel with small cracks for which linear fracture mechanics is not effective. A fatigue limit criterion, based on the cyclic plastic zone size at a crack tip being a material constant at the fatigue limit, can effectively evaluate the effects of crack length and stress ratio. Regarding flaws as cracks, the theory gives fatigue limit values close to those obtained in experiments on specimens with natural defects, such as surface roughness, micro-shrinkage cavities, inclusions etc. The effect of water corrosion was also investigated.     

The role of fracture toughness in low-cycle fatigue crack propagation for high-strength alloys

The trend toward broader application of high-strength structural alloys has increased the potential for failure by low-cycle fatigue crack propagation. There is a significant probability that complex structures will contain undetected cracks remaining from fabrication or that cracks will readily initiate from less severe fabrication defects. Under the repeated application of high stresses, imposed on high-strength alloys, such cracks will rapidly grow in low-cycle fatigue. To guard against disastrous failures caused by cracks propagating to terminal fracture, high-strength structural alloys which also possess high levels of fracture resistance have been developed in recent years. This paper describes the principal fatigue crack propagation characteristics which are derived from high fracture toughness and discusses the potential benefits available through the use of high-toughness alloys in cyclically-loaded structures.     

应力比对航空高强LD2CZ铝合金腐蚀疲劳裂纹扩展的影响

利用扫描电镜联合液压伺服试验机,并借助于Walker公式研究了应力比对预腐蚀不同时间航空高强LD2CZ铝合金疲劳裂纹扩展的影响,在应力比分别为0．05,0．5,0．7的条件下对预腐蚀0,15,30d的LD2CZ铝合金单边缺口板状试样进行了疲劳加载试验,得到了其疲劳裂纹扩展速率曲线,并拟合出了Walker公式中的材料常数。结果表明：裂纹扩展速率会随着应力比的增加以及腐蚀损伤的加深而增大,拟舍得到的Walker公式可用来定量化地表征应力比和腐蚀损伤对疲劳裂纹扩展速率的影响。     

Interpreting the stress ratio effect on delamination growth in composite laminates using the concept of fatigue fracture toughness

This paper provides a study on fatigue delamination growth in composite laminates using energy principles. Experimental data has been obtained from fatigue tests conducted on Double Cantilever Beam (DCB) specimens at various stress ratios. A concept of fatigue fracture toughness is proposed to interpret the stress ratio effect in crack growth. The fatigue fracture toughness is demonstrated to be interface configuration independent but significantly stress ratio dependent. An explanation for this phenomenon is given using SEM fractography. Fracture surface roughness is observed to be similar in different interfaces at the same stress ratio. But it is obviously more rough for high stress ratio in comparison with that for low stress ratio, causing the fatigue resistance increase. Therefore, the stress ratio effect in fatigue crack growth can be physically explained by a difference in resistance to crack growth.     

Investigation of fatigue crack growth rate in CARALL,ARALL and GLARE

Fibre metal laminates (FMLs) are being used to manufacture many structural components in aerospace industry because of their very high strength to weight ratios, yet the exact model for estimating fatigue crack propagation in FMLs cannot be developed because of many variable parameters affecting it. In this research, tensile strength, fatigue life and fracture toughness values of 2/1 configuration carbon reinforced aluminium laminate (CARALL), aramid reinforced aluminium laminate and glass laminate aluminium reinforced epoxy specimens have been investigated. Mechanical, chemical and electrochemical surface treatments were applied to AA 1050 face sheets to improve the adhesive properties of the laminates. The specimens were prepared using vacuum assisted resin transfer moulding technique and were cut to desired shapes. Fatigue tests were conducted on centre notched specimens according to ASTM Standard E399. Real time material data and properties of adhesive were used in definition of numerical simulation model to obtain the values of stress intensity factor at different crack lengths. It was observed that CARALL shows very superior tensile and fatigue strength because of stress distribution during failure. Numerical simulation model developed in this research accurately predicts fracture toughness of aramid reinforced aluminium laminate, CARALL and glass laminate aluminium reinforced epoxy with less than 2% error. An empirical analytical model using experimental data obtained during research was developed which accurately predicts the trend of FMLs fatigue life.