Fractal Characterization of Metallic Fracture Surfaces
Abstract
Mandelbrot, Passoja, and Paullay defined the slit island method (SIM) , established the fractal nature of fracture surfaces, and reported the negative correlation of fractal dimension D with fracture toughness in a selection of steel alloys in 1984. They also established for the steel samples studied the fractal dimension equivalent (within two percent) determined by SIM and Fourier analysis of fracture surface profiles. In this report, with Mandelbrot's rule in mind, we employ the imprecise usage currently in vogue, i.e., we employ the same nomenclature and notations for fractal dimension of the fracture surface and of the curves bounding the islands produced by sectioning fracture surface and also for the fractional part of the fractal dimension. Serious questions have been raised regarding the fractal characterization of metallic fracture surfaces. The results of perimeter-area analysis and the slit island method (SIM), in particular, are cast into doubt. In this report, perimeter-area and perimeter- yardstick analyses of rectifiable curves and of mathematically constructed, simple fractal curves are presented in order to confront some questions in open literature.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 1991
- Accession Number
- ADA242614
Entities
People
- Lawrence V. Meisel
Organizations
- United States Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center