Criterion of crack initiation and spreading

The area of the true stress/true strain diagram determined under tensile test conditions is equal to the energy absorbed per unit volume at the point of fracture. In the case of tensile as well as other loading tests like compression, low cycle fatigue, etc. a spreading crack will be initiated when the critical specific fracture energy ($\text{W}{}_{\mathrm{c}}$) characteristic of the material has been absorbed whereby the proportionality law of notched specimens can then be derived. The specific fracture energy of notched tensile test specimens as expressed in the function of temperature will describe the brittle fracture sensitivity of the material. From the specific fracture energy of notched specimens the fracture toughness and the critical energy release rate can be determined. The method described herein is also adaptable for the determination of the brittle fracture sensitivity of welded joints.     

Residual toughness of poly(acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) (ABS) after fatigue loading—effect of uniaxial fatigue loading

Toughness variation of non-notched poly(acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) (ABS) subjected to uniaxial fatigue loading was investigated. The experiments were conducted by applying fatigue loading to strip specimens first, from which dog-bone specimens were machined. The dog-bone specimens were tested to measure the strain for the on-set of fracture, named cracking strain here, thus to monitor the toughness change due to the fatigue loading.The test results showed that the fatigue loading caused the toughness drop in ABS, even before any visible crack was developed. Damage development and fracture behavior were then analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The SEM analysis revealed that damage zones, not cracks, were initiated during the fatigue loading, and were the main cause of the toughness drop. Mechanisms for the damage initiation include matrix crazing and debonding of small rubber particles; however, large rubber particles remained intact. Based on the results, a deformation model is proposed for the damage zone initiation, which provides an explanation for the toughness change under the fatigue loading.     

High temperature fatigue of the nickel-base single-crystal superalloy CMSX-10

Push–pull fatigue tests were conducted under a sinusoidal stress waveform with a frequency of 1 Hz and a trapezoidal one with a hold time in both tension and compression at 300 MPa-amplitude. Tests were conducted at a temperature of 1273 K using smooth bar specimens of the nickel-base single-crystal superalloy CMSX-10. Small cracks were observed on the surface of the interrupted specimens by means of optical and scanning electron microscopes and their number and length were measured. The fatigue behaviour was characterized as follows: (1) A number of small cracks were initiated at a relatively early stage on the grain boundaries of the surface oxide which were perpendicularly to the tensile stress axis direction. (2) Some of these cracks grew inside and reached the base metal. Their growth brought about final fracture of the specimen. (3) The creep strain during the stress hold period accelerated the growth rate of the small cracks and shortened the fatigue life.     

Evaluation of threshold stress intensity in high strength hydrogen charged steel in low strain rate tension tests

Abstract

The fracture ductility of high strength steel is strongly influenced by the presence of hydrogen, although hydrogen does not significantly affect the yield strength. The deterioration of fracture ductility is particularly evident in low strain rate tension tests, but less pronounced at conventional crosshead speeds. Low concentrations of hydrogen in high strength steels do not substantially affect the fracture toughness, but result in the appearance of a threshold stress intensity. The threshold values can be obtained from low strain rate tension tests at a crosshead speed of 0·1 mm min^?1. These values are practically the same as those obtained from hydrogen charged peripherally notched pre cracked specimens subjected to a constant static load in a delayed failure test. Microfractographic investigations of fracture surfaces of hydrogen charged steel from low strain rate tension tests indicate that the growth and the coalescence of voids in the final stages of the fracture process are partly assisted by the decohesion of interfaces on which hydrogen is adsorbed.

MST/1796     

A notched coupon approach for tensile testing of braided composites

A notched coupon geometry was evaluated as a method for tensile testing of 2D triaxial braid composites. Edge initiated shear failure has been observed in transverse tension tests using straight-sided coupons based on ASTM D3039. The notched coupon was designed to reduce the effects of edge initiated failure and produce the desired tensile failure. A limited set of tests were performed with partial pressurization of tubes to determine the transverse tensile strength in the absence of edge initiated failure. The transverse strength measured with the notched coupons was considerably higher than the straight-sided coupons, comparable to the tube results, and closer to the maximum possible strength based on maximum fiber strain. Further investigations of the effects of the observed biaxial stress state and stress concentrations in the notched geometry are needed.     

Accounting for constraint effects in fracture mechanics analysis of floating production, storage and off-loading vessels and ships

Research has been performed to study the effect of constraint dependent fracture toughness of parent metal and HAZ for steels applied for fabrication of oil and gas floating production, storage and off-loading (FPSO) vessels and ships. A test method was employed to study the HAZ crack tip opening displacement (CTOD) fracture toughness at various levels of constraint avoiding excessive scatter usually associated with conventional HAZ CTOD testing, which may obscure effects of constraint.The objective of the research was to determine the material dependent constraint parameters in Ainsworth and O'Dowd's constraint modified fracture assessment approach and to develop a method based on information from the literature pertaining to the structural constraint in plates with semi-elliptical surface cracks. Results due to Wang and Parks and Nakamura and Parks computed using line-spring and FE analyses were used to establish polynomial expressions for the structural constraint in tension and bending applicable to fracture assessment of shallow fatigue cracks initiated at weld toes in floating offshore structures such as FPSOs.The results of the analyses clearly show that fracture assessment of semi-elliptical surface cracks in tension would be overly conservative if constraint effects are not accounted for in the Option 1 or Option 2 fracture assessment curves or in fracture toughness. It was also found from the tests conducted on specially prepared wide-plate test specimens, that the constraint modified Option 1 curve was conservative for fracture assessment of semi-elliptical surface cracks located in the HAZ of a 500 MPa minimum specified yield strength quenched and tempered steel for offshore application.     

Fatigue crack growth from small defects under out-of-phase combined loading

A modified linear elastic fracture mechanics analysis is presented for the evaluation of the crack growth and threshold behavior of small cracks initiated from small defects under combined loading fatigue. For the detailed evaluation of the behavior of small fatigue cracks, the Kitagawa effect, the elastic–plastic behavior of cracks in biaxial stress fields and crack closure effects are taken into account. In-phase and out-of-phase combined tension and torsion fatigue tests were conducted using annealed carbon steel specimens containing small holes. The direction of crack propagation, S–N curves and fatigue limits were found to be in good agreement with the theoretical predictions.     

The effect of initial notch shape of compact specimen on fatigue pre-cracking and fracture toughness testing

The circular notched compact specimens, along with standard specimens having straight or chevron notch are provided for fatigue and fracture toughness testings in order to study the crack observation capability during fatigue pre-cracking, skewness of the crack front, and the resulting fracture toughness K_Q. The test results indicated that circular notched specimens significantly facilitate the crack observation during fatigue testing as the cracks initiate on both surfaces of the specimen. No remarkable differences were observed on geometries of the fatigue crack front obtained and the resulting fracture toughness among these three types of specimen. The macroscopic observation of beach marks on the fracture surfaces revealed that, in the present material Ti-6Al-4V (ELI), the advance of only 1.3% of the whole crack length corresponded to the load level at which fracture toughness K_Q was evaluated.     

Mechanism of anisotropy in fracture behaviour and fracture toughness of high strength aluminium alloy plate

Abstract

The fracture behaviour and J_Ic fracture toughness of a commercial Al–Zn–Mg–Cu alloy plate has been investigated. Based on the experimental results and available theoretical analyses, the following results were obtained. Secondary grain boundary cracks appeared ahead of the main crack, which served as a triggering mechanism for small scale shearing. Shear failure facets on the fracture surface of single edge notched bend specimens represent the same type of fracture as the fast shear failure that occurred during tensile tests on notched specimens. The grain boundary cracking–small scale shearing mechanism is essentially a type of shielding event that not only makes the fracture appearance obviously anisotropic, but also, to a considerable extent, accounts for the strong anisotropy of fracture toughness.

MST/1111     

Warm pre-stress based pre-cracking criteria for fracture toughness testing

There are presently a magnitude of different fracture toughness testing standards that have different criteria for fatigue pre-cracking specimens prior to testing. The reason for the criteria is that too high pre-fatigue load may influence the subsequently measured fracture toughness value. The criteria have to a large extent been developed specifically for each standard in question and this has lead to the considerable variability in the criteria. The basic reason for the pre-fatigue having an effect on the fracture toughness is the warm pre-stress (WPS) effect. Here, existing data relating to pre-fatigue load levels are examined with the help of a newly developed simple WPS correction and a criteria and correction procedure for too high pre-fatigue loads are proposed. The new criteria focuses on brittle fracture, but is equally applicable for ductile fracture, thus enabling a unification of pre-fatigue criteria in different fracture toughness testing standards.     

Neue Beobachtungen über das Phänomen der Wechseldehnungs-Versprödung an einer Rißfront anhand von Sprödbruchversuchen

New Observations about the Phenomenon of Cyclic Strain Embrittlement at the Fatigue Crack Tip by Means of Brittle Fracture Tests . Fracture tests were performed on flat samples notched on both sides (net section 120 × 30 mm²) of material 19 Mn 5 to determine the influence of a local embrittlement on the nominal fracture stresses. The local embrittlement in a very small area could be produced by pulsating tensile tests due to cyclic strain could be produced by pulsating tensile tests due to cyclic strain embrittlement at 350°C gradually different in the base of the notch respectively at the tip of the growing fatigue crack. Fractures due to “low” nominal stress tend to occur in those cases where the rate of crack growth in the pulsating tensile test is approaching zero or is equal to zero.     

Fracture mode identification of low alloy steels and cast irons by electron back-scattered diffraction misorientation analysis

The fracture modes of low alloy steels and cast irons under tensile and fatigue conditions were identified by electron back-scattered diffraction(EBSD) misorientation analysis in this research. The curves of grain reference orientation deviation(GROD) distribution perpendicular to the fracture surface were obtained by EBSD observation, and the characteristics of each fracture mode were identified. The GROD value of the specimen fractured in tension decreases to a constant related to the elongation of corresponding specimen in the far field(farther than 5 mm away from the fracture surface). The peak exhibits in GROD curves of two smooth specimens and a notched specimen near the fracture surface(within 5 mm away from the fracture surface), and the formation mechanisms were discussed in detail based on the influences of specimen geometries(smooth or notched) and material toughness. The GROD value of fatigue fractured specimen is close to that at undeformed condition in the whole field, except the small area near the crack path. The loading conditions(constant stress amplitude loading or constant stress intensity factor range K loading) and the EBSD striation formation during fatigue crack propagation were also studied by EBSD observation parallel to the crack path.     

Effect of annealing process in water on the essential work of fracture response of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene

The toughness of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) before and after annealing process in water was investigated by the essential work of fracture (EWF) method. Annealing in water at 80 °C for various aging periods of the 5 mm thickness with various ligament lengths single edge notched tension (SENT) specimens was performed in hot water. Tensile tests were performed at 2 mm/min constant deformation rate at room temperature in order to determine EWF parameters. After tensile tests, the fracture cross-sections of SENT specimens were investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM). From the 60th day of annealing process in water, it was seen that the fracture toughness of the material decreased while water absorption in samples increased.     

Small-crack growth and fatigue life predictions for high-strength aluminium alloys. Part II: crack closure and fatigue analyses

Small-crack effects were investigated in two high-strength aluminium alloys: 7075-T6 bare and LC9cs clad aluminium alloys. Both experimental and analytical investigations were conducted to study crack initiation and growth of small cracks. In the experimental program, fatigue and small-crack tests were conducted on single-edge-notch tension (SENT) specimens and large-crack tests were conducted on middle-crack tension specimens under constant-amplitude and Mini-TWIST spectrum loading. A pronounced small-crack effect was observed in both materials, especially for the negative stress ratios. For all loading conditions, most of the fatigue life of the SENT specimens was shown to be crack propagation from initial material defects or from the cladding layer. In the analysis program, three-dimensional finite-element and weight-function methods were used to determine stress intensity factors, and to develop equations for surface and corner cracks at the notch in the SENT specimen. (Part I was on the experimental and fracture mechanics analyses and was published in Fatigue Fract. Engng Mater. Struct. 21 , 1289–1306, 1998.) This part focuses on a crack closure and fatigue analysis of the data presented in Part I. A plasticity-induced crack-closure model was used to correlate large-crack growth rate data to develop the baseline effective stress intensity factor range (Δ K _eff ) against rate relations for each material, ignoring the large-crack threshold. The model was then used with the Δ K _eff rate relation and the stress intensity factors for surface or corner cracks to make fatigue life predictions. The initial defect sizes chosen in the fatigue analyses were similar to those that initiated failure in the specimens. Predicted small-crack growth rates and fatigue lives agreed well with experiments.     

Herringbone fracture of a polycarbonate/ABS blend

Tensile fracture mechanisms in single edge notched injection-moulded specimens of a polycarbonate/ABS 30/70 wt% blend have been studied by fractography. When the tensile force was applied parallel to the injection direction, a herringbone pattern could be observed on the fracture surface, while for the perpendicular case, a reverse herringbone pattern was seen. At the same testing condition, the former was tougher than the latter. Fracture images and two-dimensional temperature profiles in the thickness direction were used to locate the crack initiation sites. Herringbone fracture occurred when the main crack repeatedly interacted with secondary cracks initiated along the centreline. Reverse herringbone fracture was formed in a similar mechanism but secondary cracks initiated near the edge. Anisotropy of the fracture modes was attributed to the processing-induced orientation of the polycarbonate phase near the edge.     

Der Mischbruch im Zugversuch

Mixed fracture in the tension test If a tensile test specimen does not break before by cleavage, voids are nucleated at second-phase particles and inclusions during plastic deformation. At the center of the necked region these voids coalesce by internal necking or shearing of the material between them forming a fibrous crack which expands radially. In a temperature range which is dependent on the material cleavage fracture is initiated by the fibrous crack, resulting in a mixed fracture. If no cleavage fracture is initiated a completely fibrous fracture is formed. Mixed fracture surfaces consist of a cleavage fracture zone surrounding the central fibrous fracture zone and the tensile specimen behaves like a fracture mechanics specimen. Fracture toughness can be calculated by equations for tensile specimens with a central penny shaped crack. A comparison of fracture toughness values obtained by the use of unnotched tensile specimens and of fracture mechanics specimens show good agreement inbetween the temperature range of valid K_lc values according to standards of linear-elastic fracture mechanics.     

High‐cycle fatigue and fracture behaviours of Cu‐Be alloy with a wide strength range

The high‐cycle fatigue and fracture behaviours of Cu‐Be alloy with tensile strength ranging from 500 to 1300 MPa acquired by different treatments were studied. Fatigue crack initiation, fracture surface morphologies, S‐N curves and fatigue strength show obvious differences due to the change of microstructure. At relatively low‐strength level, some fatigue cracks originated from defects; while at high‐strength level, all the fatigue cracks initiated from cleavage facets. It was found that the fatigue ratio increases linearly and fatigue strength changes quadratically with increasing tensile strength, only considering one strengthening mechanism. Finally, the fatigue strengths of various Cu‐Be alloys were summarized.     

Effects of microstructural through‐thickness non‐uniformity and crack size on fatigue crack propagation and fracture of rolled Al‐7075 alloy

Some of the fatigue tests performed using the standard compact tension (CT) and a non‐standard specimen made of rolled 7075 aluminium alloy exhibit fatigue crack growth (FCG) lagging in a small region along the crack front. Through‐thickness microstructural evaluation shows that material grains in this region did not flatten as much as other regions. In the non‐standard specimen, surface cracks are either grown under fatigue loading or broken under monotonically increasing quasi‐static loads at different crack sizes. The aforementioned lagging also exists in a narrow region of 3‐D FCG for specimens with microstructural through‐thickness non‐uniformity. A more important feature for this type of specimen with surface crack is the deflection of fast fracture direction into the grain interfaces, namely from L‐T orientation to S‐L and S‐T directions. It is proved that this is due to significant levels of second principal stresses near the free surface for small cracks and lower fracture toughness of the material in S‐L and S‐T directions.     

The effect of fatigue pre‐cracking forces on fracture toughness

Testing procedures for the determination of the fracture toughness of a material by monotonic loading of fatigue pre‐cracked specimens are well established in standards such as BS 7448, BS EN ISO 15653, ISO 12135, ASTM E1820 and ASTM E1921. However, a review of these standards indicates a wide range of permitted fatigue pre‐cracking forces, whilst the underlying assumption in each standard is that the pre‐cracking conditions do not affect the fracture toughness determined. In order to establish the influence of different fatigue pre‐cracking forces on the fracture toughness, tests were carried out on specimens from an API 5L X70 pipeline steel. Single‐edge notch bend specimens of Bx2B geometry were notched through thickness and tested at temperatures of +20 °C, ?80 °C and ?140 °C to show the fracture behaviour in different regions of the fracture toughness ductile‐to‐brittle transition curve. Fatigue pre‐cracking was conducted on a high‐frequency resonance fatigue test machine over a range of pre‐cracking forces permissible within the various standards and beyond. The results showed that an excessively high pre‐cracking force can result in a significant overestimation of the value of fracture toughness for material exhibiting brittle behaviour, whilst very low fatigue pre‐cracking forces appeared to result in an increase in scatter of fracture toughness. A review of standards indicated that there was a possibility to misinterpret the intention of the ISO 12135 standard and potentially use excessively high pre‐cracking forces. Suggested clarifications to this standard have therefore been proposed to avoid the risk of overestimating fracture toughness.     

Effect of fatigue damage on static and dynamic tensile behaviour of electro‐discharge machined Ti‐6Al‐4V

The fatigue performance of electro‐discharge machined Ti‐6Al‐4V and, more specifically, the effect of cyclic damage on the static and dynamic tensile properties of the material have been investigated. In a first step, fatigue failure was studied. Afterwards, tensile tests were performed on specimens that had been previously subjected to cyclic loading during predefined fractions of the fatigue life. In addition to conventional experiments at quasi‐static strain rate, dynamic tests were performed using a split Hopkinson tensile bar setup. The edges of some of the specimens were removed after cyclic loading to discriminate between the effects of damage at the edges and in the bulk of the material. Results revealed that early fatigue failure is due to the growth of cracks on the machined edges of the specimens. Edge cracks can randomly reduce fracture strain and energy absorbing capacity. However, cyclic damage does not affect the tensile properties of the bulk material.