Study of the Influence of Metallurgical Factors on Fatigue and Fracture of Aerospace Structural Materials.
Abstract
This report summarizes the results of a two-phase study involving (1) experimental characterization and analytical modeling of fatigue crack tip micromechanics in aerospace structural aluminum alloys, and (2) identification and modeling of key microstructural factors controlling fracture in aluminum-iron-x alloys. Dynamic load cycling within the SEM and stereoimaging strain analysis have been used to characterize crack opening loads, strains, and effective stress intensity (delta/Keff) values for large and small cracks in a variety of alloys; both constant amplitude and overload/underload situations were studied. It was found that delta/Keff based on local crack tip opening load was not an adequate crack growth rate correlating factor. Instead, it was necessary to use a new driving force term which includes both closure and local crack tip plasticity. The latter was computed by calculating delta/J integrals within the crack tip plastic zone using local crack tip strain data obtained via high resolution SEM of loaded and unloaded cracks.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 31, 1988
- Accession Number
- ADA192909
Entities
People
- David L. Davidson
- Gerald R. Leverant
- James Lankford
- Kwai S. Chan
Organizations
- Southwest Research Institute