Papers by Keyword: Quantitative Fractography

Abstract: This work is focused on experimental study of micromechanisms of mode II and mode III fatigue cracks in metallic materials in the near-threshold regime. The resistance to fatigue crack growth can be divided to an intrinsic component (ahead of the crack tip) and an extrinsic component (shielding, closure), which is significantly higher than the intrinsic one. Fracture surfaces from the Ti6Al4V alloy and pure zirconium were observed in three dimensions. Experiments were conducted using a special device for simultaneous crack loading in modes II and III. Additionally, pure mode II and pure mode III experiments were done using CTS and torsion specimens, respectively. At the beginning of all experiments, crack closure was eliminated due to precracks generated under cyclic compressive loading. A common mechanism of local mode II advances was observed in both modes II and III. The results were similar to those of pure titanium. The hcp metals exhibit a transition behaviour between materials with coplanar shear-mode crack propagation and materials with a high tendency to deflect to the opening mode I.

Abstract: The fatigue critical structures of military aircraft are generally subjected to variable amplitude flight spectrum loading. Maintaining aircraft structural integrity to ensure safe operation of the fleet is critically dependent on accurate analysis and reliable prediction of fatigue crack growth in those structures under service operating conditions. To achieve this goal, laboratory experimental methods that can accurately measure and monitor fatigue crack growth under variable amplitude loading are required. This can be challenging as no test standard exists to guide the process of fatigue crack growth measurement under variable amplitude loading conditions to ensure the accuracy of the test results. This challenge was addressed by developing a modified compliance method as described in this paper. The results presented employed a modified compliance method complemented with a travelling microscope technique and marker band loads. The modified compliance method developed is able to measure in-situ, fatigue crack growth of standard compact-tension specimens under a fighter flight spectrum loading. The marker band loads and microscope readings were used to assist the post-test validation using quantitative fractography. The results from this study have demonstrated that the modified compliance method can produce consistent and accurate fatigue crack growth data under variable amplitude loading conditions.

Abstract: Quantitative fractography is the important tool for evaluating the fatigue propagation life about material research and manufacturing process perfect, it is very useful in the circumstances that crack expands inside of the material or the crack cannot be observed because of the hidden part of the component. In-service components are usually suffered different load spectrums, and the fracture characteristics are combined created by random load spectrum and block spectrum, which are beach marks, small beach marks and fatigue striations. The most important thing for fractography quantitative analysis is to confirm the parameter used for evaluating the fatigue life and determine the relationship between the parameter and load spectrum. The relationships between different fracture characteristics and load spectrums are analyzed, and the selection means of characteristic parameter for different load spectrums are proposed. This paper also discussed a case of fatigue propagation life estimation of some aircraft lower wall panel suffered in-service aircraft flight load spectrum.

Abstract: A quantitative description of overlaps on fractures in sialon ceramics, is presented in the paper. A conventional analysis, aiming at the determination of the percentage share of overlaps on the basis of quantitative fractography, was preceded by stereometric/fractal analyses. They enabled the selection of representative sections of samples and then, the production of transverse microsections in those places for an analysis of the fractures’ profiles using the light microscopy method and fractographic image analysis. Based on the compared results from both methods, a successful verification was made of the research methodology developed earlier for sintered carbides and proven for a chromium-molybdenum steel.

Abstract: Fatigue fracture features such as pseudo- and fatigue striations were investigated for the Al-alloys AL-Si-Mg and Acoustic Emission (AE) was used to analyze plastic deformation processes ahead of a crack tip. Dramatic change of fatigue striations spacing was demonstrated in accordance with AE-signals evolution. Specimens with fatigue crack have not macroscopic significance in plastic deformation process under tension up to the fast fracture when striation spacing is over 2.1x10-7 m. Mechanisms of material deformation and fracture around of a crack tipduring fatigue striations formation process are discussed on the bases of the synergistic approach.