Fatigue crack growth and fracture toughness behavior of an Al-Li-Cu alloy

Slip behavior, fracture toughness, and fatigue thresholds of a high purity Al-Li-Cu alloy with Zr as a dispersoid forming element have been studied as a function of aging time. The fracture toughness variation with aging time has been related to the changes in slip planarity,i.e., slip band spacing and width. Although the current alloy exhibits planar slip for all aging conditions examined, the crack initiation toughness,Klc, compares favorably with those of 2XXX and 7XXX aluminum alloys. Near threshold fatigue crack growth results in air and vacuum suggest that irregularities in the crack profile and the fracture surfaces and slip reversibility are some of the major contributing factors to the crack growth resistance of this alloy.     

Fundamental aspects of fatigue and fracture in a TiAl sheet alloy

The fatigue mechanisms in a TiAl sheet alloy, heat treated to the lamellar and equiaxed microstructures, were studied to determine the effects of microstructure on the initiation of microcracks and their subsequent growth into large cracks. The nucleation and growth history of individual microcracks were followed. For comparison, fatigue crack growth and fracture toughness were also characterized using specimens containing a machined notch with a fatigue precrack. The results indicated that microcracks initiated at grain/colony boundaries and at slip bands. Most microcracks were arrested after nucleation, but a few grew at stress intensity ranges below the large crack threshold. The populations of nonpropagating and propagating cracks varied with life fractions. Ligaments in the wake of a fatigue crack were more severely strained than the crack-tip region of the main crack, and, as a result, they were more prone to fatigue failure. The destruction of the crack-wake ligaments is expected to result in lower fracture resistance in materials under cyclic loading than those under monotonic loading. This article is based on a presentation made in the symposium “Fundamentals of Gamma Titanium Aluminides,” presented at the TMS Annual Meeting, February 10–12, 1997, Orlando, Florida, under the auspices of the ASM/MSD Flow & Fracture and Phase Transformations Committees.     

A critical strain model for the creep fracture of nickel-base superalloys

Fracture toughness samples of NIMONIC 115 were creep tested at 704°C in Mode I (tension) and Mode III (torsion) loading. In Mode III loading the rupture lives were two orders of magnitude shorter than in Mode I. The effects of loading mode are shown to agree with predictions based on a critical strain fracture model. Earlier test results with a number of different superalloys also are consistent with a strain controlled fracture model. Improved resistance to crack growth during creep at intermediate temperatures can be achieved by increasing Young’s modulus, yield strength, grain size and the critical strain value.     

A critical strain model for the creep fracture of nickel-base superalloys

Fracture toughness samples of NIMONIC 115 were creep tested at 704°C in Mode I (tension) and Mode III (torsion) loading. In Mode III loading the rupture lives were two orders of magnitude shorter than in Mode I. The effects of loading mode are shown to agree with predictions based on a critical strain fracture model. Earlier test results with a number of different superalloys also are consistent with a strain controlled fracture model. Improved resistance to crack growth during creep at intermediate temperatures can be achieved by increasing Young’s modulus, yield strength, grain size and the critical strain value.     

The fatigue and fracture resistance of a Nb-Cr-Ti-Al alloy

The microstructure, fatigue, and fracture behaviors of a cast and heat-treated Nb-Cr-Ti-Al alloy were investigated. The microstructure of the cast alloy was manipulated by annealing at a temperature ranging from 500 °C to 1500 °C for 1 to 24 hours. The heat treatment produced Cr₂Nb precipitates along grain boundaries in all cases except in the 500 °C heat-treated material. Fracture toughness tests indicated low fracture resistance in both the as-cast and heat-treated materials. Fatigue crack growth tests performed on the 500 °C heat-treated material also indicated a low fatigue crack growth resistance. Direct observations of the near-tip region revealed a cleavage-dominated fracture process, in accordance with fractographic evidence. The fracture behavior of the Nb-Cr-Ti-Al alloy was compared to that of other Nb-Cr-Ti alloys. In addition, theoretical calculations of both the unstable stacking energy (USE) and Peierls-Nabarro (P-N) barrier energy are used to elucidate the role of Al additions in cleavage fracture of the Nb-Cr-Ti-Al alloy. The results indicate that an Al alloying addition increases the USE, which, in turn, prevents the emission of dislocations, promotes the nucleation and propagation of cleavage cracks from the crack tip, and leads to a reduction in the fracture toughness.     

Fatigue and fracture toughness of a Nb-Ti-Cr-Al-X single-phase alloy at ambient temperature

The fatigue and fracture resistance of a commercially made, single-phase Nb-base alloy with 35 at. pct Ti, 5 at. pct Cr, 6 at. pct Al, and several elements to increase solid solution strengthening have been investigated. The threshold for fatigue crack growth was determined to be ≈7 MPa√m and fracture toughness ≈35 MPa√m. Crack growth was intermittent and sporadic; the fracture path was tortuous, crystallographic, and appeared to favor the {100} and {112} planes. Fatigue crack closure was measured directly at the crack tip. The fatigue and fracture properties of the commercial alloy are compared against those of Nb-Cr-Ti and Nb-Cr-Ti-Al alloys. The comparison indicated that Ti addition is beneficial for, but Al addition is detrimental to, both fracture toughness and fatigue crack resistance.     

Fatigue crack growth rates and fracture toughness of rapidly solidified Al-8.5 pct Fe-1.2 pct V-1.7 pct Si alloys

The room-temperature fatigue crack growth rates (FCGR) and fracture toughness were evaluated for different crack plane orientations of an Al-8.5 Pct Fe-1.2 Pct V-1.7 Pct Si alloy produced by planar flow casting (PFC) and atomized melt deposition (AMD) processes. For the alloy produced by the PFC process, properties were determined in six different orientations, including the short transverse directions S-T and S-L. Diffusion bonding and adhesive bonding methods were used to prepare specimens for determining FCGR and fracture toughness in the short transverse direction. Interparticle boundaries control fracture properties in the alloy produced by PFC. Fracture toughness of the PFC alloy varies from 13.4 MPa√m to 30.8 MPa√m, depending on the orientation of the crack plane relative to the interparticle boundaries. Fatigue crack growth resistance and fracture toughness are greater in the L-T, L-S, and T-S directions than in the T-L, S-T, and S-L orientations. The alloy produced by AMD does not exhibit anisotropy in fracture toughness and fatigue crack growth resistance in the as-deposited condition or in the extruded condition. The fracture toughness varies from 17.2 MPa√m to 18.5 MPa√m for the as-deposited condition and from 19.8 MPa√m to 21.0 MPa√m for the extruded condition. Fracture properties are controlled by intrinsic factors in the alloy produced by AMD. Fatigue crack growth rates of the AMD alloy are comparable to those of the PFC alloy in the L-T orientation. The crack propagation modes were studied by optical metallographic examination of crack-microstructure interactions and scanning electron microscopy of the fracture surfaces.     

An investigation of the fatigue and fracture behavior of a Nb-12Al-44Ti-1.5Mo intermetallic alloy

This article presents the results of a study of the fatigue and fracture behavior of a damage-tolerant Nb-12Al-44Ti-1.5Mo alloy. This partially ordered B2 + orthorhombic intermetallic alloy is shown to have attractive combinations of room-temperature ductility (11 to 14 pct), fracture toughness (60 to 92 MPa√m), and comparable fatigue crack growth resistance to IN718, Ti-6Al-4V, and pure Nb at room temperature. The studies show that tensile deformation in the Nb-12Al-44Ti-1.5Mo alloy involves localized plastic deformation (microplasticity via slip-band formation) which initiates at stress levels that are significantly below the uniaxial yield stress (∼9.6 pct of the 0.2 pct offset yield strength (YS)). The onset of bulk yielding is shown to correspond to the spread of microplasticity completely across the gage sections of the tensile specimen. Fatigue crack initiation is also postulated to occur by the accumulation of microplasticity (coarsening of slip bands). Subsequent fatigue crack growth then occurs by the “unzipping” of cracks along slip bands that form ahead of the dominant crack tip. The proposed mechanism of fatigue crack growth is analogous to the unzipping crack growth mechanism that was suggested originally by Neumann for crack growth in single-crystal copper. Slower near-threshold fatigue crack growth rates at 750 °C are attributed to the shielding effects of oxide-induced crack closure. The fatigue and fracture behavior are also compared to those of pure Nb and emerging high-temperature niobium-based intermetallics.     

Fatigue and fracture behavior of a fine-grained lamellar TiAl alloy

The fatigue and fracture resistance of a TiAl alloy, Ti-47Al-2Nb-2Cr, with 0.2 at. pct boron addition was studied by performing tensile, fracture toughness, and fatigue crack growth tests. The material was heat treated to exhibit a fine-grained, fully lamellar microstructure with approximately 150-μm grain size and 1-μm lamellae spacing. Conventional tensile tests were conducted as a function of temperature to define the brittle-to-ductile transition temperature (BDTT), while fracture and fatigue tests were performed at 25 °C and 815 °C. Fracture toughness tests were performed inside a scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with a high-temperature loading stage, as well as using ASTM standard techniques. Fatigue crack growth of large and small cracks was studied in air using conventional methods and by testing inside the SEM. Fatigue and fracture mechanisms in the fine-grained, fully lamellar microstructure were identified and correlated with the corresponding properties. The results showed that the lamellar TiAl alloy exhibited moderate fracture toughness and fatigue crack growth resistance, despite low tensile ductility. The sources of ductility, fracture toughness, and fatigue resistance were identified and related to pertinent microstructural variables.     

Mode III fatigue crack propagation in low alloy steel

To provide a basis for estimating fatigue life in large rotating generator shafts subjected to transient oscillations, a study is made of fatigue crack propagation in Mode III (anti-plane shear) in torsionally-loaded spheroidized AISI4340 steel, and results compared to analogous behavior in Mode I. Torsional S/N curves, determined on smooth bars containing surface defects, showed results surprisingly close to expected unnotched Mode I data, with lifetime increasing from 10⁴ cycles at nominal yield to 10⁶ cycles at half yield. Fatigue crack growth rates in Mode III, measured on circumferentially-notched samples, were found to be slower than in Mode I, although still power-law related to the alternating stress intensity(△K _III) for small-scale yielding. Mode III growth rates were only a small fraction (0.002 to 0.0005) of cyclic crack tip displacements(△CTD _III) per cycle, in contrast to Mode I where the fraction was much larger (0.1 to 0.01). A micromechanical model for Mode III growth is proposed, where crack advance is considered to take place by a Mode II coalescence of cracks, initiated at inclusions ahead of the main crack front. This mechanism is consistent with the crack increment being a small fraction of △CTD_III per cycle. Formerly with Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA Formerly with M.I. T.     

Structure/property/continuum synthesis of ductile fracture in inconel alloy 718

Two microscopic ductile fracture processes have been established in a fracture tough superalloy, Inconel 718, aged to five strength levels. At yield strengths less than 800 MPa, the mechanism is a slow tearing process within large pockets of inhomogeneous carbides and nitrides, giving rise to plane strain fracture toughness (K _IC)values greater than 120 MPa-m^1/2. At yield strengths greater than 900 MPa, the mechanism involves fracture initiation at carbides and nitrides followed by off crack plane void sheet growth nucleated at the Laves (σ) phases. Here, the fracture toughness drops to about 80 MPa-m^1/2. A Mode I normal strain growth model for low yield strength conditions and a shear strain void sheet model for high yield strength ones are shown to model K_IC data obtained from a J-integral evaluation of compact tension results.     

Hydrogen effects on brittle fracture of the titanium aluminide alloy Ti-24Al-11Nb

Varying amounts of hydrogen were dissolved in the titanium aluminide alloy Ti-24Al-llNb (atomic percent). Virtually all of this hydrogen probably precipitated as hydride on cooling because the terminal solubility in the dominant Ti₃Al phase is very low at room temperature. Although the yield strength (YS) increased, the ultimate tensile strength (UTS), ductility, fracture stress in notched bend bars, and fracture toughness decreased with increasing amounts of hydride. The strength and fracture properties, for all hydride contents, did not change with testing speed below about 5 to 50 mm/min but decreased steeply for speeds greater than that. The presence of hydride decreased the critical value of testing speed by about an order of magnitude. Brittle cracks in bluntly notched bend bars, with or without hydride, nucleated at the notch root or at a distance below the root which was less than one fifth of the distance to the peak stress location. This result suggests that the cleavagelike cracking in this material is not controlled by normal stress alone but has some dependence on the applied strain. The fracture surfaces of notched or precracked specimens, with or without hydride, consisted entirely of cleavagelike fracture, but these cracks exhibited stable crack propagation. This permitted both the measurement of crack resistance or R curves and also observation of the initiation and propagation of the crack with increasing K_I. The results showed that cracks initiated discontinuously at characteristic sites within the plastic zone and along the slip bands when the plastic deformation ahead of the precrack developed to a particular and reproducible extent. Literature cleavage models were compared to results for the present tests. WU-YANG CHU, Formerly Visiting Professor, Carnegie Mellon University,     

Mechanisms for fracture and fatigue-crack propagation in a bulk metallic glass

The fracture and fatigue properties of a newly developed bulk metallic glass alloy, Zr_41.2Ti_13.8Cu_12.5 Ni₁₀Be_22.5 (at. pct), have been examined. Experimental measurements using conventional fatigue precracked compact-tension C(T) specimens (∼7-mm thick) indicated that the fully amorphous alloy has a plane-strain fracture toughness comparable to polycrystalline aluminum alloys. However, significant variability was observed and possible sources are identified. The fracture surfaces exhibited a vein morphology typical of metallic glasses, and, in some cases, evidence for local melting was observed. Attempts were made to rationalize the fracture toughness in terms of a previously developed micromechanical model based on the Taylor instability, as well as on the observation of extensive crack branching and deflection. Upon partial or complete crystallization, however, the alloy was severely embrittled, with toughnesses dropping to ∼1 MPa . Commensurate with this drop in toughness was a marginal increase in hardness and a reduction in ductility (as measured via depthsensing indentation experiments). Under cyclic loading, crack-propagation behavior in the amorphous structure was similar to that observed in polycrystalline steel and aluminum alloys. Moreover, the crack-advance mechanism was associated with alternating blunting and resharpening of the crack tip. This was evidenced by striations on fatigue fracture surfaces. Conversely, the (unnotched) stress/life (S/N) properties were markedly different. Crack initiation and subsequent growth occurred quite readily, due to the lack of microstructural barriers that would normally provide local crack-arrest points. This resulted in a low fatigue limit of ∼4 pct of ultimate tensile strength.     

Effects of pre-existing grain boundary microvoid distributions on fracture toughness and fatigue crack growth in low alloy steel

The role of dispersions of pre-existing grain boundary microvoids is investigated in fracture toughness and fatigue crack propagation behavior in a low alloy steel. Microvoid damage is achieved by prior exposure of the steel to gaseous hydrogen atmospheres at high temperatures and pressures, where carbon within the steel reacts with ingressed hydrogen to nucleate methane bubbles along prior austenite grain boundaries (hydrogen attack). It is shown that, whereas the crack initiation and crack growth toughness (i.e. K_Ic and the tearing modulus) are severely degraded, even for comparatively mild degrees of microvoid damage, rates of sub-critical crack growth by fatigue remain relatively unaffected. Such results are interpreted in terms of a mutual competition between microstructural damage generated by the grain boundary microvoids, which promotes crack growth by lowering the intrinsic resistance of the microstructure, and the resulting tortuous crack paths, which extrinsically retard crack growth at low stress intensities by lowering the local crack tip “driving force” (crack tip shielding). As shielding effects are minimized at high stress intensities, the degradation in intrinsic toughness is related to changes in ductility by means of a stress-modified critical strain model for ductile fracture, where the presence of small microvoid clusters is shown to promote coalescence through the easier onset of plastic strain localization. Fatigue behavior, conversely, is dominated by extrinsic shielding mechanisms and is modeled in terms of two-dimensional models of crack deflection and roughness-induced crack closure.     

An investigation of the fracture and fatigue crack growth behavior of forged damage-tolerant niobium aluminide intermetallics

The results of a recent study of the effects of ternary alloying with Ti on the fatigue and fracture behavior of a new class of forged damage-tolerant niobium aluminide (Nb₃Al-xTi) intermetallics are presented in this article. The alloys studied have the following nominal compositions: Nb-15Al-10Ti (10Ti alloy), Nb-15Al-25Ti (25Ti alloy), and Nb-15Al-40Ti (40Ti alloy). All compositions are quoted in atomic percentages unless stated otherwise. The 10Ti and 25Ti alloys exhibit fracture toughness levels between 10 and 20 MPa√m at room temperature. Fracture in these alloys occurs by brittle cleavage fracture modes. In contrast, a ductile dimpled fracture mode is observed at room-temperature for the alloy containing 40 at. pct Ti. The 40Ti alloy also exhibits exceptional combinations of room-temperature strength (695 to 904 MPa), ductility (4 to 30 pct), fracture toughness (40 to 100 MPa√m), and fatigue crack growth resistance (comparable to Ti-6Al-4V, monolithic Nb, and inconnel 718). The implications of the results are discussed for potential structural applications of the 40Ti alloy in the intermediate-temperature (∼700 °C to 750 °C) regime.     

Subcritical crack growth at bimaterial interfaces: Part II. microstructural effects on fracture resistance of metal/ceramic interfaces

The flexural peel technique was used to study the fracture resistance of two model A1₂O₃/A1 interfaces. The bimaterial interface was formed by bonding high-purity A1₂O₃ with molten Al-5 pct Cu alloy under pressure. The specimens were then heat treated so that the Al-Cu alloy reached peakaged and extended-overaged conditions. The fracture resistance curve was established for two interfaces with either the peak-aged or overaged Al alloy. The fracture resistance of the interface with the peak-aged Al-Cu alloy was higher in terms of both the initiation and peak toughness. While the peak toughness of the interface scaled with the yield strength of the metal, the initiation toughness differed by a factor of 8. The difference in the initiation toughness is discussed in terms of the disparity in the interfacial microstructure.     

The fracture resistance of a binary TiAl alloy

The fracture resistance of a binary Ti-47Al (in at. pct) alloy has been investigated. The binary alloy was cast, forged, and heat treated to a fully lamellar microstructure with a colony size of either 640 or 1425 μm. Fracture toughness tests were performed in a scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with a loading stage. Direct observations of the fracture process indicated that crack extension commenced at a stress intensity level of 1.2 to 4 MPa√m. The crack path was primarily interlamellar and crack extension across an individual colony or across similarly oriented colonies was relatively easy. In contrast, crack arrest was prevalent when the crack encountered the boundaries of unfavorably oriented colonies. To extend into an unfavorably oriented neighboring colony, the K level of the approaching crack had to be increased significantly to renucleate a microcrack at a location away from the crack tip, resulting in the formation of an interconnecting ligament that must be fractured to further crack growth. This interaction between the crack and the microstructure led to a large variation in the slope of the K _R curves. Comparison of the K _R curves for the binary Ti-47Al alloy against published data for quinary Ti-47Al-xNb-yCr-zV alloys indicates that the initiation toughness of the quinary alloys is higher by a factor of 5 to 10, implying the existence of a significant beneficial effect of alloying additions on the initiation toughness.     

The strength,fracture toughness,and low cycle fatigue behavior of 17-4 PH stainless steel

The influence of microstructure on the strength, fracture toughness and low cycle fatigue behavior of 17-4 PH stainless steel has been examined. Aging hardening involves initial formation of coherent copper-rich clusters which transform to incoherent fee ∈-copper precipitates upon further aging. The changes in strength level and strain hardening rates observed during aging are consistent with previously suggested models for precipitation hardening based on differing elastic moduli. The fracture toughness and fatigue crack growth rates were shown to be a function of microstructure and environment. At equivalent strength levels overaging resulted in a higher fracture toughness than did underaging. The fatigue crack growth rates increased with increasing strength level and humidity but were not a function of toughness level. Attempts to correlate the fatigue crack growth rates with monotonie tensile properties were unsuccessful. However when final failure obeyed a critical strain criteria, the fracture toughness behavior could be reasonably described and related to preferential void nucleation and growth at δ-ferrite-matrix interfaces.