Fatigue Crack Growth Rate of Ti-6Al-4V Considering the Effects of Fracture Toughness and Crack Closure

Fatigue fracture is one of the main failure modes of Ti-6A1-4V alloy,fracture toughness and crack closure have strong effects on the fatigue crack growth（FCG）rate of Ti-6A1-4V alloy.The FCG rate of Ti-6A1-4V is investigated by using experimental and analytical methods.The effects of stress ratio,crack closure and fracture toughness on the FCG rate are studied and discussed.A modified prediction model of the FCG rate is proposed,and the relationship between the fracture toughness and the stress intensity factor（SIF）range is redefined by introducing a correcting coefficient.Notched plate fatigue tests（including the fracture toughness test and the FCG rate test）are conducted to investigate the influence of affecting factors on the FCG rate.Comparisons between the predicted results of the proposed model,the Paris model,the Walker model,the Sadananda model,and the experimental data show that the proposed model gives the best agreement with the test data particularly in the near-threshold region and the Paris region,and the corresponding calculated fatigue life is also accurate in the same regions.By considering the effects of fracture toughness and crack closure,the novel FCG rate prediction model not only improves the estimating accuracy,but also extends the adaptability of the FCG rate prediction model in engineering.

Influence of welding parameters on fracture toughness and fatigue crack growth rate in friction stir welded nugget of 2024-T351 aluminum alloy joints

Friction stir welding （FSW） was performed on 2024-T351 aluminum alloy plates. Metallographic analysis, Vickers microhardness and XRD tests were conducted to determine the properties of the welded zone. FE simulation of the FSW process was implemented for the different welding conditions to extract the residual stress and stress intensity factor （SIF）. Fracture and fatigue behaviors of the welds which have the initial crack in the nugget zone and the crack orientation along the welding direction, were studied based on standard test methods. Fracture behavior of the welds was also evaluated by shearography method. The results showed that the tool rotational and traverse speeds affect the fracture toughness and fatigue crack growth rate. FSW provides 18%-49% reductions in maximum fracture load and fracture toughness. A slight diminution in fracture toughness of the joints was observed for lower traverse speed of the tool, and at higher traverse or rotational speeds, increasing the probability of defects may contribute to low fracture toughness. Fatigue crack propagation rate of all welds was slower than that of the base metal for low values of stress intensity factor range ΔK （ΔK〈13 MPa·m^1/2）, but is much faster for high values of ΔK.

Fatigue Life Evaluation Method for Foundry Crane Metal Structure Considering Load Dynamic Response and Crack Closure Effect

To compensate for the shortcomings of quasi-static law in anti-fatigue analysis of foundry crane metal structures,the fatigue life evaluation method of foundry crane metal structure considering load dynamic response and crack closure effect is proposed.In line with the theory of mechanical vibration,a dynamic model of crane structure during the working cycle is constructed,and dynamic coefficients under diverse actions are analysed.Calculation models of the internal force dynamic change process of dangerous cross-sections and a simulation model of first principal stress-time history are established by using the steel structure design criteria,which is utilised to extract the change of first principal stress of danger points over time.Then,the double-parameter stress spectrum is obtained by the rain flow counting method.The fatigue life calculation formula is corrected by introducing a crack closure parameter that can be calculated by the stress ratio and the effective stress ratio.Under the finite element model imported into Msc.Patran,crack propagation analysis is performed by the growth method in the fatigue integration module Msc.Fatigue.Taking the metal structure of a 100/40t-28.5m foundry crane with track offset as an example,the accuracy of calculation results and the feasibility and applicability of the proposed method are verified by theoretical calculation and finite element simulation,which provide a theoretical basis for improvement of the fatigue resistance design of foundry cranes.

Fatigue fracture mechanism of AZ31B magnesium alloy and its welded joint

Fatigue test was carried out on AZ31B magnesium alloy. Under 2×10 6 cycle times, the fatigue strengths of base metal （BM）, butt joint （BJ）, transverse cross joint （TJ）, lateral connection joint （LJ） are 66.72, 39.00, 24.38 and 24.40 MPa, respectively. The crack propagation behavior of the alloy was analyzed by optical microscopy. The AZ31B magnesium alloy base metal has a smooth crack propagation macroscopic path. However, the microscopic path is twisted and some cracks have two forks, and the crack propagation is transgranular. The crack initiates in the weld toe and the crack propagates along the HAZ for the BJ and TJ; for the LJ crack initiates in the fillet weld leg. The fatigue fracture mechanisms were analyzed by SEM. The fatigue fracture surface consists of quasi-cleavage patterns or cleavage step and a brittle fracture occurs. Numerous secondary cracks are observed; some fatigue striations exist in butt joint and its size is about 5 μm.

AN INVESTIGATION OF RANDOM FATIGUE STRENGTH OF K-TYPE TUBULAR JOINTS AND CRACK PROPAGATION BEHAVIORS

Random fatigue of welded K-type tubular joints subjected to axial or out-of-plane bending load is analyzed. By considering the sizes of initial surface cracks and material constants as random variables with some probabilistic distributions, incorporating the effect of the weld, five hundred random samples are generated. Statistical computational results of life of crack propagation and effect of change of crack shape are finally obtained and compared with experimental data available based on a regression analysis. Meanwhile, crack propagation behaviors are also investigated.

As-extruded AZ31B Magnesium Alloy Fatigue Crack Propagation Behavior

The fatigue crack propagation rate of as-extruded AZ31B magnesium alloy was studied. Compact tension [C（T）] of the notch direction parallel （T-L）, vertical （L-T）, and inclined at 45o to the extrusion direction was investigated. The experimental results indicate that the crack propagation direction is parallel to the extrusion direction for T-L and L-T specimens, whereas the specimen inclined at 45o has an angular deflection of 9° to 11° toward the extrusion direction. The T-L specimen has the fastest fatigue crack propagation rate, and the L-T specimen has the slowest rate, the fatigue crack propagation rate of the specimen inclined at 45o is between the two directions. The crack tip propagates by both transgranular and intergranular fractures. Fatigue fractures consist of cleavage plane or quasi-cleavage and are brittle fractures. The fatigue striation occurs for specimens inclined at 45o and its size is 3-15 μm.

STUDY ON FATIGUE SHORT CRACK GROWTH LAW AND FATIGUE LIFE FOR MEDIUM CARBON STEELS

The fatigue crack initiation from notch root and the short-crack growth laws of two medium carbon alloying structural steels—35CrMo and 42CrMo are investigated under the different stress ratios R =0.1, 0.3) and three-point bending condition. The relationships between the maximum stress range at the notch root Δ σ max and the number of cycles before fatigue crack initiation N i are determined. The threshold stresses of fatigue crack initiation (Δ σ max ) th are got, and the smallcrack growth laws are obtained for these steels. An effective and convenient method is proposed for predicting the fatigue life of the notch specimens.

Fatigue life prediction of aviation aluminium alloy based on quantitative pre-corrosion damage analysis

A new method of quantitative pre-corrosion damage of aviation aluminium(Al-Cu-Mg)alloy was proposed,whichregarded corrosion pits as equivalent semi-elliptical surface cracks.An analytical model was formulated to describe the entire regionof fatigue crack propagation(FCP).The relationship between the model parameters and the fatigue testing data obtained in thepre-corroded experiments,crack propagation experiments and S-N fatigue experiments was discussed.The equivalent crack sizesand the FCP equation were used to calculate the fatigue life through numerical integration based on MATLAB/GUI.The resultsconfirm that the sigmoidal curve fitted by the FCP model expresses the whole change from Region I to Region III.In addition,thepredicted curves indicate the actual trend of fatigue life and the conservative result of fatigue limit.Thus,the new analytical methodcan estimate the residual life of pre-corroded Al-Cu-Mg alloy,especially smooth specimens.

New model of propagation rates of long crack due to structure fatigue

By comparison of the characteristics of existing models for long fatigue crack propagation rates, a new model, called the generalized passivation-lancet model for long fatigue crack propagation rates （GPLFCPR）, and a general formula for characterizing the process of crack growth rates are proposed based on the passivation-lancet theory. The GPLFCPR model overcomes disadvantages of the existing models and can describe the rules of the entire fatigue crack growth process from the cracking threshold to the critical fracturing point effectively with explicit physical meaning. It also reflects the influence of material characteristics, such as strength parameters, fracture parameters and heat treatment. Experimental results obtained by testing LZ50 steel, AlZnMgCu0.5, 0.5Cr0.5Mo0.25V steel, etc., show good consistency with the new model. The GPLFCPR model is valuable in theoretical research and practical applications.

Fatigue fracture of high-strength Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy

X-ray diffractometry(XRD),optical microscopy(OM),scanning electron microscopy(SEM)were used to study the fatigue fracture of the T7451 Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy(470℃,60 min+115℃,8 h+165℃,16 h).The study reveals mainly the microscopic structure of the alloy in the process of crack formation and crack growth.The fatigue fracture is characterized by three zones:fatigue crack source zone,fatigue crack propagation zone and fatigue fracture zone.The fatigue damage preferably incubates at the fractured inclusion particles at or near(about 25μm)the specimen free surfaces,and these brittle Fe-rich intermetallic inclusion particles are (7-10)μm×(11-14)μm in size.Some features such as"feather-like","river and range"and boundary extrusions can be observed in the fatigue propagation zone,and in the fatigue fracture zone the surface is rough and uneven.

Numerical study on fatigue crack propagation behaviors in lubricated rolling contact

The surface-initiated Rolling Contact Fatigue(RCF)including pitting and micro-pitting is one of the key issues affecting the reliability of tribological components such as gears and bearings used in various devices.In this work,a surface-initiated crack Finite Element(FE)model which considers the effect of lubricant on crack faces was developed to investigate surface-initiated RCF using an automatic crack propagating Python script.Different lubricating states,initial crack parameters and loading conditions were simulated to analyze the evolution of crack propagation and the Stress Intensity Factors(SIFs).The RCF crack propagation path and life were predicted by employing the Maximum Tangential Stress(MTS)criterion coupled with the Paris’s law.A typical RCF failure is predicted in the numerical simulation.Results reveal that the lubricating pressurization dominates the surface-initiated RCF.In addition,the initial crack angle has a significant effect on the RCF crack propagation path and the fatigue life.

Evaluation of mixed mode-Ⅰ/Ⅱ criteria for fatigue crack propagation using experiments and modeling

In this study, in-plane mixed mode-Ⅰ/Ⅱ fatigue crack growth simulations and experiments are performed for the Al 7075-T651 aluminum alloy which is widely used in the aerospace industry. Tests are carried out under different mode mixity ratios to evaluate the applicability of a fracture criterion developed in a previous study to mixed mode-Ⅰ/Ⅱ fatigue crack growth tests.Results obtained from the analyses and experiments are compared with existing and developed criteria in terms of crack growth lives. Compact Tension Shear（CTS） specimens, which enable mixed mode loading with loading devices under different loading angles, are used in the simulations and experiments. In an effort to model and simulate the actual conditions in the experiments, crack surfaces of fractured specimens are scanned, crack paths are modeled exactly, and contacts are defined between the contact surfaces of a specimen and the loading device for each crack propagation step in the analyses. Having computed the mixed mode stress intensity factors from the numerical analyses, propagation life cycles are predicted by existing and the developed mixed mode-Ⅰ/Ⅱ criteria and then compared with experimental results.

BEHAVIOR OF SHORT FATIGUE CRACKS AT BLUNT NOTCHES IN A MEDIUM CARBON STEEL

The behavior of part-through and through short cracks in single edge blunt notched specimens of a medium carbon steel was investigated by a replication method. It is found that the fatigue failure of these notched specimens is caused mainly by the growth of short surface cracks originating from the surface of notch root. More than 70% of the fatigue life is spent in the regimes in which short surface cracks initiate and propagate as part-through cracks before joining up to form a single through-thickness crack. The effect of original crack profile which is formed through the coalescence of multiple part-through cracks is the main reason causing the 'anomalous' propagation behavior of the through-thickness crack in its early stage.

Torsional Fatigue Cracking and Fracture Behaviors of Cold-Drawn Copper:Effects of Microstructure and Axial Stress

The fatigue cracking and fracture behavior of cold-drawn copper subjected to cyclic torsional loading were investigated in this study.It was found that with increasing stress amplitude,the fracture mode of cold-drawn copper gradually changes from a shear fracture on transverse maximum shear stress plane to a mixed shear mode on both transverse and longitudinal shear planes and finally turns to the shear fracture on multiple longitudinal shear planes.Combining the cracking morphology and the relationship between torsional fatigue cracking and the grain boundaries,the fracture mechanism of cold-drawn copper under cyclic torsional loading was analyzed and proposed by considering the effects of the microstructure and axial stress caused by torsion.Because of the promotion of the grain boundary distribution on longitudinal crack propagation and the inhibition of axial stress on transverse crack grown,the tendency of crack propagation along the longitudinal direction increases with increasing stress levels.

Effect of age condition on fatigue properties of 2E12 aluminum alloy

The fatigue behaviors of 2E12 aluminum alloy in T3 and T6 conditions at room temperature in air were investigated.The microstructures and fatigue fracture surfaces of the alloy were examined by transmission electron microscopy(TEM) and scanning electron microscopy(SEM).The results show that the alloy exhibits higher fatigue crack propagation(FCP) resistance in T3 condition than in T6 condition,the fatigue life is increased by 54% and the fatigue crack growth rate(FCGR) decreases significantly.The fatigue fractures of the alloy in T3 and T6 conditions are transgranular.But in T3 condition,secondary cracks occur and fatigue striations are not clear.In T6 condition,ductile fatigue striations are observed.The effect of aging conditions on fatigue behaviors is explained in terms of the slip planarity of dislocations and the cyclic slip reversibility.

Tensile and fracture properties of Ti-62A alloy plate with different microstructures

Ti-62A alloy plates with three different types of microstructure, fully equiaxed, bimodal, and Widmanstatten, were obtained by various heat treatments to investigate the effects of microstructure on the tensile and fracture properties at room temperature. The results reveal that Widmanstatten microstructure exhibits good damage tolerance behavior considering strength, fracture toughness, and fatigue crack growth behavior, while the bimodal microstructure shows good comprehensive properties considering the plasticity synthetically. Optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) microstructure analyses on fracture and fatigue crack path demonstrate that the dependence of mechanical properties and fatigue crack growth behavior on microstructural feature are attributed to the α lamellae width and the α colony size. © The Nonferrous Metals Society of China and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2012.

Understanding Fatigue Failure in Binary Rubber Blends: Role of Crack Initiation and Propagation

Under cyclic loading conditions,the breakdown of rubber products is mainly caused by the formation and spread of cracks.This study focuses on understanding how cracks initiate and grow during the fatigue failure of blended rubber.We prepared composite materials by blending bio-mimetic rubber (BMR);butadiene rubber (BR) in different mass ratios and evaluated their resistance to crack initiation and propagation.Our results indicate a clear trend: as the BR content increases,crack initiation in blended rubber is inhibited,while crack propagation is enhanced.This shift leads to a change in the primary factor influencing fatigue fracture from crack initiation to crack propagation.Additionally,we observed that the fatigue life of the rubber blend initially increases and then decreases as the BMR content rises,indicating a critical threshold when the mass ratio of BMR to BR is comparable.By closely examining the materials using a scanning electron microscope (SEM);image analysis,we confirmed that before the threshold,crack initiation is the dominant factor in fatigue failure,while after the threshold,crack propagation takes over.This study provides valuable insights into the mechanisms behind fatigue failure in rubber blends,contributing to a better understanding of this important material behavior.

Estimation of Fatigue Strength of Reinforced Complete Upper Denture Using a Newly Designed Testing Machine: A Laboratory Research Project

In the present study, an aero pneumatic fatigue testing machine for complete dentures was designed, fabricated, and tested for the evaluation of the fatigue life of reinforced complete upper denture (CUD). On completion and testing, it was observed that the machine has the potential of generating reliable number of cyclic data. The machine’s performance was evaluated using test specimens of identical CUDs that were machined in conformity with standard procedures. The fatigue machine compressed the lower dental arch over the upper denture-specimen in centric occlusion, in the same way that the two masticatory muscles pull the lower jaw over the upper jaw during chewing. The incorporation of glass fibres into the CUD using a sandwich technique quadruples the lifespan of the denture (P = 0.004). The low standard deviation, along with the low coefficient of variation (CV) of the group of unreinforced dentures shows the repeatability of the results and the reliability of the machine. The high standard deviation and coefficient of variation of reinforced dentures was expected, since a high variation of results is usually recorded in fibre reinforcement cases. This research confirmed the view that the crack during denture fracture initiates in the anterior palatal area and propagates to the posterior.

A Proposal of Deciding Fatigue Strength in Bending Fatigue Test

Generally, the fatigue crack is initiated and then it is propagated toward the welding direction and the thickness direction. Finally, the joints lose the resistance to the external force. At present, as there is no deciding method of the fatigue strength （fatigue life）, this paper proposed it from the result obtained by bending test for fillet welded joints. Judging initiation of the fatigue crack from the measured value of strain gages, there was a possibility that the fatigue crack occurred at both sides of fillet welded joints. However, this was a different result from that of macrograph of cross section. On the other hand, the results obtained by FSM （field signature method） coincided with the result of macrograph of cross section. For the initial state, potential difference obtained by the electrostatic analysis based on FEM （finite element method） and that by FSM was accurately coincided. After confirming validity of the crack model for analysis, the crack model was specified by reproducing the propagating process of crack accurately through trial and error. It was concluded that the state which could not resist to the external force was regarded as fatigue strength based on equivalent stress obtained by elastic stress analysis for specified crack model. From the experimental result, it was proposed that 90% of repetition number corresponding to the state which could not resist to the external force （at the finish of the test） was regarded as fatigue strength （fatigue life） in consideration of safety and as the first approximation.

Studies on the effect of weld defect on the fatigue behavior of welded structures

Structural integrity isstated as the science and technology of margin between safety and disaster. Systematic prediction of structural integrity of critical structures such ascombustion chambers,pressure vessels,nuclear reactor components,boilers etc.,ensures the human safety,environmental protection,and the economical considerations.The present work aims at prediction of fatigue behaviour of symmetric structures like pressure vessels in the presence of common welding defects such as lack of fusion( LOF),lack of penetration( LOP) and porosity.A ring type specimen which replicates the stress pattern in thepressure vessel is considered for the study of severity of weld imperfections. Initial dimensions of weld defects are arrived by performing NDT inspection.Crack growth analysis is carried out to determine the remaining life of the welded joint with defects.