The EIFS distribution for anodized and pre-corroded 7010-T7651 under constant amplitude loading

This paper reports results from SICAS, an experimental programme to evaluate the effectiveness of the equivalent initial flaw size (EIFS) approach in managing the structural integrity effects of pitting corrosion. Fatigue crack growth and life tests were conducted on anodized and pre‐corroded 7010‐T7651. The corrosion pits that initiated fatigue were then measured using the SEM. These data were analysed statistically to identify the pit geometric parameter(s) that influenced fatigue life. Projected pit area had the strongest effect, while pit depth and pit width were each statistically insignificant. The EIFS distribution for corroded 7010‐T7651 was then calculated. Examination of the probability distribution of the ratio of EIFS area to pit area allowed the derivation of a scatter factor that gave safely conservative fatigue life predictions for the corroded material.     

Experimental investigation and life prediction of hot corrosion pre‐exposure on low‐cycle fatigue of a directionally solidified nickel‐base superalloy

Low‐cycle fatigue tests were conducted on the directionally solidified nickel‐base superalloy DZ125 at 850 °C in the unexposed and exposed specimens for 2, 15, 25 and 50 h in hot corrosion environment. The pre‐exposed specimen exhibited a lower life than unexposed specimens. Fatigue cracks in the unexposed specimens are initiated from defects near the surface, while the cracks of exposed specimens preferentially occur on the surface. Hot corrosion damage in fatigue life was found to be associated with the reduction of the bearing area. A novel life prediction methodology based on continuum damage mechanics was proposed to predict the experimentally observed decrease in low‐cycle fatigue life with increasing prior exposure time.     

The influence of the environment and corrosion on the structural integrity of aircraft materials

Fatigue results of 1¹/₂ dog-bone jointed specimens manufactured from 7075-T6 aluminium alloy indicated that the application of corrosion preventative compounds (CPCs) at the faying surfaces slightly decreased the log mean fatigue life at 144 MPa, while the effect was not statistically significant at the higher stress level (210 MPa). The addition of the CPC also reduced fretting corrosion at the faying surfaces and shifted the fatigue initiation sites closer to the edge of fastener holes. Scatter in fatigue life was found to be associated with the location and size of the intermetallics at the initiation site. The presence of corrosion in the bores of the countersunk fastener holes reduced the fatigue life by up to one order of magnitude. Fatigue test results for dog-bone specimens manufactured from 7075-T651 and 2024-T351 aluminium alloys indicated that the presence of exfoliation corrosion reduced the fatigue life under dry conditions, with a greater reduction under humid conditions. The application of a CPC to the corroded region eliminated the influence humidity had on fatigue life.     

Prediction of corrosion fatigue lives of aluminium alloy on the basis of corrosion pit growth law

Tension‐compression and rotating‐bending fatigue tests were carried out using aluminium alloy 2024‐T3, in 3% NaCl solution. The corrosion pit growth characteristics, and also the fatigue crack initiation and propagation behaviour were investigated in detail. The results obtained are summarized as follows: (i) Most of corrosion fatigue life (60–80%) is occupied with a period of corrosion pit growth at low‐stress amplitude. The corrosion pit growth law can be expressed as functions of stress amplitude σ_a and an elapsed time t. (ii) The critical stress intensity factor for crack initiation from the corrosion pit was determined as 0.25 . This value is the same as the threshold stress intensity factor range for crack propagation. (iii) Corrosion fatigue life can be estimated on the basis of corrosion pit growth law and crack propagation law. The estimated fatigue lives agree well with the experimental data.     

Corrosion fatigue behavior of extruded magnesium alloy AZ31 in sodium chloride solution

In the present study, corrosion fatigue experiments were done using the extruded magnesium alloy AZ31 in the 3% sodium chloride solution to clarify the corrosion fatigue characteristics of the material. Corrosion fatigue lives greatly decreased as compared with those in laboratory air. It was also clarified that most of the corrosion fatigue life (70–80%) at the lower stress amplitude is occupied with the period of the corrosion pit growth. Corrosion fatigue lives were evaluated quantitatively by dividing the corrosion fatigue process into the following two periods, i.e. (1) the corrosion pit growth period preceding the crack initiation from the pit and (2) the crack growth period before the specimen failure. In the analysis, the law of the corrosion pit growth proposed by authors was used to deal with the above first period. The evaluated results corresponded well to the experimental results.     

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.     

CORROSION FATIGUE OF AN HSLA STEEL

Abstract— Single-pitted specimens of an HSLA steel, were tested in laboratory air and in 1 M NaCl solution to study the influence of a corrosive environment on its fatigue life.
The growth of fatigue cracks and the partitioning of the fatigue life into fatigue crack initiation and fatigue crack propagation were studied by photographing the pit and the cracks developing on it periodically during testing. Non-propagating or dormant surface cracks were not observed in this study. Fractography using SEM showed the locations of fatigue crack initiation. The mechanisms of corrosion fatigue were studied by performing tests in 1 M NaCl at different test frequencies. Corrosion pits proved to be crack initiation sites. Hydrogen embrittlement was found to be unimportant in the corrosion fatigue of HSLA steel in this study. The 1 M NaCl corrosive environment appeared to reduce the fatigue life of this material by a dissolution mechanism. The effect of pit depth was studied by testing specimens having various pit depths. An effect of pit size was apparent. Fatigue life decreased with increasing pit depth. Pit depth, rather than the ratio of pit depth to pit diameter, influenced fatigue behaviour. A non-damaging pit depth was found.     

Fatigue crack formation and growth from localized corrosion in Al-Zn-Mg-Cu

The effect of precorrosion on the fatigue life of aluminum alloy 7075-T6511 was measured, physical characteristics of corrosion topography plus fatigue damage were established by microscopy, and a corrosion modified equivalent initial flaw size (CM-EIFS) was established using fracture mechanics modeling. Fatigue life is reduced by clustered corrosion pits on the L-S surface from laboratory-EXCO exposure. Cracks initiate from pits clustered as a semi-elliptical surface micronotch rather than the deepest pits, consistent with shape-dependent stress intensity. Marker band analysis establishes that the number of cycles to form a crack about a pit cluster can be a significant fraction of total fatigue life. The CM-EIFS, back-calculated from fracture mechanics analysis of measured fatigue life, equals measured initiating-pit cluster size provided that important inputs are provided; such favorable comparison validates this approach to corrosion-fatigue interaction. Calculated CM-EIFS provides a metric to characterize alloy corrosion damage, and can be used to forward-model the effects of stress and loading environment on fatigue life distribution, critical for efficient alloy development. Use in prognosis of the fatigue performance of a service-corroded surface is hindered by uncertain non-destructive characterization of corrosion topography.     

FATIGUE LIFE DISTRIBUTION AND GROWTH OF CORROSION PITS IN A MEDIUM CARBON STEEL IN 3%NaCl SOLUTION

Abstract— Statistical fatigue tests have been conducted on a structural medium carbon steel, S45C, in room air and in 3%NaCl solution, using five cantilever-type rotary bending fatigue testing machines which were specially manufactured for the purpose of the present study. Fatigue life distribution was examined at three and five stress levels in air and in 3%NaCl solution, respectively, and twenty specimens were allocated to each stress level. In room air, it was found that fatigue life distributions followed the three-parameter Weibull distribution, which were closely related to fracture morphology. In 3%NaCl solution, they also followed the Weibull distribution, but the scatter in fatigue life was smaller in comparison to that in air. It is suggested that the decrease in the scatter of fatigue life may be attributed to a smaller fraction of crack initiation life in 3%NaCl solution. The growth of corrosion pits was investigated using a laser microscope. The distribution of corrosion pit depths followed the log-normal distribution, and the corrosion pit depths increased with increasing time or the number of cycles. It was found that the growth of corrosion pits was accelerated by stress cycling and the depths increased with increasing stress level. Based on these results, a growth law of corrosion pits, including the effect of stress cycling, is proposed.     

Environmental effect on the fatigue performance of bare and oxide coated 7075-T6 alloy

Fatigue behaviors of bare and anodic oxide coated 7075-T6 alloy have been investigated in laboratory air and 3.5%NaCI solution environment by using smooth cylindrical specimens. Presence of corrosive attack during fatigue test drastically reduced fatigue performance of the alloy. The deleterious effect was observed to be pronounced at high-cycles fatigue region, where the fatigue strength of the bare specimen was lowered by a factor of 2.9. However, the oxide coated specimens having a thickness of 23 μm showed a modest reduction in fatigue strength. Corrosion fatigue (CF) strength of the bare specimens was predominantly controlled by pitting-induced crack nucleation. Examinations on the surfaces of the corrosion-fatigued and immersed test specimens revealed that cyclic loading stimulated corrosion pit formation during CF tests. Also, corrosion behaviors of both the coated and bare specimen shave been investigated by potentiodynamic test. Despite superior corrosion resistance of coated specimens, fatigue performance was adversely affected under the combined action of corrosion attack and cyclic loading.     

Pit morphology characterization and corrosion fatigue crack nucleation analysis based on energy principle

Pit always changes its shape and size during corrosion fatigue. The actual morphology of pit is an outcome of the interaction between the variation in the elastic energy, surface energy and electrochemical energy stored in the cyclically stressed solid. In this paper, a two‐variable semi‐elliptical model is proposed to depict the pit's growing morphology. The critical condition for corrosion fatigue crack nucleation is deduced according to dislocation theory, and the influences of some important factors on critical pit size and crack nucleation life are discussed.     

Fatigue life prediction of offshore tubular joints using fracture mechanics

ABSTRACT Fatigue crack growth calculations were performed on offshore tubular joints using the Paris crack growth law. The stress intensity factors required for such calculations were obtained from T‐butt solutions previously proposed by the authors. The applicability of the solutions to tubular joints was first demonstrated by comparing the fatigue life of a base case with that obtained from a mean S–N curve, and the influence on fatigue life of various factors including load shedding, the size of initial defects, weld geometry, etc. was investigated. The solutions were then used to predict the lives of tubular T‐joints from an experimental database. The results show that the solutions underestimate the fatigue life; this underestimation was shown to be primarily due to ignoring the combined effects of load shedding and the intersection stress distribution. In general, however, the trends in the predicted fatigue lives with joint geometry and other details were seen to be superior to predictions from the S–N approach, with the solutions significantly reducing the dependency on loading mode exhibited by the test data.     

Axial fatigue of a gas-nitrided quenched and tempered AISI 4140 steel: effect of nitriding depth

Fatigue testing under fully reversed axial loading (R=?1) and zero‐to‐tension axial loading (R= 0) was carried out on AISI 4140 gas‐nitrided smooth specimens. Three different treatment durations were investigated in order to assess the effect of nitriding depth on fatigue strength in high cycle fatigue. Complete specimens characterization, i.e., hardness and residual stresses profiles (including measurement of stabilized residual stresses) as well as metallographic and fractographic observations, was achieved to analyse fatigue behaviour. Fatigue of the nitrided steel is a competition between a surface crack growing in a compressive residual stress field and an internal crack or ‘fish‐eye’ crack growing in vacuum. Fatigue life increases with nitriding depth until surface cracking is slow enough for failure to occur from an internal crack. Unlike bending, in axial fatigue ‘fish‐eye’ cracks can initiate anywhere in the core volume under uniform stress. In these conditions, axial fatigue performance is lower than that obtained under bending and nitriding depth may have no more influence. In order to interpret the results, special attention was given to the effects of compressive residual stresses on the surface short crack growth (closure effect) as well as the effects of internal defect size on internal fatigue lives. A superimposed tensile mean stress reduces the internal fatigue strength of nitrided steel more than the surface fatigue strength of the base metal. Both cracking mechanisms are not equally sensitive to mean stress.     

A method for assessing critical plane‐based multiaxial fatigue damage models

Fatigue failure is a complex phenomenon. Therefore, development of a fatigue damage model that considers all associated complexities resulting from the application of different cyclic loading types, geometries, materials, and environmental conditions is a challenging task. Nevertheless, fatigue damage models such as critical plane‐based models are popular because of their capability to estimate life mostly within ±2 and ±3 factors of life for smooth specimens. In this study, a method is proposed for assessing the fatigue life estimation capability of different critical plane‐based models. In this method, a subroutine was developed and used to search for best estimated life regardless of critical plane assumption. Therefore, different fatigue damage models were evaluated at all possible planes to search for the best life. Smith‐Watson‐Topper (normal strain‐based), Fatemi‐Socie (shear strain‐based), and Jahed‐Varvani (total strain energy density‐based) models are compared by using the proposed assessment method. The assessment is done on smooth specimen level by using the experimental multiaxial fatigue data of 3 alloys, namely, AZ31B and AZ61A extruded magnesium alloys and S460N structural steel alloy. Using the proposed assessment method, it was found that the examined models may not be able to reproduce the experimental lives even if they were evaluated at all physical planes.     

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.     

航空铝合金原位腐蚀疲劳性能及断裂机理EI北大核心CSCD

为了研究不同腐蚀条件下2024铝合金的疲劳性能,首先设计搭建原位腐蚀疲劳平台,然后分别进行无腐蚀疲劳、预腐蚀疲劳和原位腐蚀疲劳实验,分析不同腐蚀疲劳条件下2024铝合金的疲劳断裂行为,最后利用扫描电镜(SEM)表征宏、微观断口特征,探究失效机理。结果表明:相同腐蚀环境和时间下,预腐蚀和原位腐蚀疲劳寿命分别为无腐蚀疲劳寿命的92%和42%;在原位腐蚀疲劳条件下,滑移带挤入、挤出导致表面粗糙度增加,吸附较多腐蚀介质,加剧蚀坑演化,易于裂纹萌生并形成多个裂纹源。裂纹的连通形成更大尺寸的损伤,并在材料内部快速扩展。预腐蚀和原位腐蚀疲劳试件断口观察到大量脆性疲劳条带,并且原位腐蚀疲劳条带平均间距约为无腐蚀疲劳条带间距的2倍,说明原位腐蚀疲劳条件下裂纹扩展速率更快。     

Driving forces for localized corrosion‐to‐fatigue crack transition in Al–Zn–Mg–Cu

Research on fatigue crack formation from a corroded 7075‐T651 surface provides insight into the governing mechanical driving forces at microstructure‐scale lengths that are intermediate between safe life and damage tolerant feature sizes. Crack surface marker‐bands accurately quantify cycles (N_i) to form a 10–20 μm fatigue crack emanating from both an isolated pit perimeter and EXCO corroded surface. The N_i decreases with increasing‐applied stress. Fatigue crack formation involves a complex interaction of elastic stress concentration due to three‐dimensional pit macro‐topography coupled with local micro‐topographic plastic strain concentration, further enhanced by microstructure (particularly sub‐surface constituents). These driving force interactions lead to high variability in cycles to form a fatigue crack, but from an engineering perspective, a broadly corroded surface should contain an extreme group of features that are likely to drive the portion of life to form a crack to near 0. At low‐applied stresses, crack formation can constitute a significant portion of life, which is predicted by coupling macro‐pit and micro‐feature elastic–plastic stress/strain concentrations from finite element analysis with empirical low‐cycle fatigue life models. The presented experimental results provide a foundation to validate next‐generation crack formation models and prognosis methods.     

Effect of pitting corrosion on fatigue crack initiation and fatigue life

Fatigue crack initiation and growth from artificial pits of different depths has been studied. To analyze the experimental results a simple three-dimensional fracture-mechanical model has been developed. The model shows very good agreement with experiments including for small cracks, in describing the initiation and growth of a fatigue crack emanating from a pit and in predicting the dependence of reduction of fatigue life on pit size. Based on experimental data an empirical relation between the depth of the corrosion pit and the fatigue life has been established. Also, a microradiographic method for pitting corrosion depth determination has been described.     

Ultrasonic fatigue testing of cast steel G42CrMo4 at elevated temperatures

The fatigue life of cast steel G42CrMo4 in two different heat treatment conditions was investigated at room temperature (RT), 473 K and 773 K up to the range of very high cycle fatigue (VHCF), that is, 10⁹ cycles. The fatigue life is determined by casting defects, the hardness of the steel matrix and by temperature. Fatigue life data were discussed in correlation with crack‐initiating defects analysed on fracture surfaces. The SN curves obtained at RT and at 473 K show a large scatter. However, the SN curve at 773 K exhibits a larger slope parameter and a significantly reduced scatter. It is shown that the fatigue behaviour of the cast steel G42CrMo4 changes from 473 to 773 K in the range of VHCF. The fatigue lives of the specimens tested at 773 K were described with a crack growth model.     

EIFS-based crack growth fatigue life prediction of pitting-corroded test specimens

Corrosive environment causes corrosion pits at material surface and reduces the fatigue strength significantly. Fatigue crack usually initiates at and propagates from these locations. In this paper, a general methodology for fatigue life prediction for corroded specimens is proposed. The proposed methodology combines an asymptotic stress intensity factor solution and a power law corrosion pit growth function for fatigue life prediction of corroded specimens. First, a previously developed asymptotic interpolation method is proposed to calculate the stress intensity factor (SIF) for the crack at notch roots. Next, a growing semi-circular notch is assumed to exist on the specimen’s surface under corrosive environments. The notch growth rate is different under different corrosion conditions and is assumed to be a power function. Fatigue life can be predicted using the crack growth analysis assuming a crack propagating from the notch root. Plasticity correction is included into the proposed methodology for medium-to-low cycle fatigue analysis. The proposed methodology is validated using experimental fatigue life testing data of aluminum alloys and steels. Very good agreement is observed between experimental observations and model predictions.