Mixed mode fatigue crack growth in test coupons made from 2024-T3 aluminum

In this paper, two different fracture criteria are applied to determine the crack trajectory or angle of crack propagation in test specimens containing inclined cracks emanating from open holes. Also, different crack growth rate models are assumed for each criterion. The maximum principal stress criterion is used with a crack growth-rate equation based on an effective stress intensity factor. The strain energy density criterion is used with a crack growth-rate equation corresponding to an effective strain energy density factor. The crack growth-rate models for each criterion were constructed using unpublished fatigue crack growth data for 2024-T3 aluminum.     

Fatigue properties of 2024-T3, 7075-T6 aluminum alloys modified using plasma-enhanced ion beams

This paper presents experimental results on the application of Microsecond Plasma Opening Switch (MPOS) technology to Al alloy surface modification. The main objective of the experiments presented here was to study the change in the tensile and fatigue properties of the MPOS-treated Al2024, Al7075 alloy samples. The bending fatigue test was carried out both in air and in corrosive media. The measurements indicate significant improvement of fatigue properties for the treated 7075 alloy in corrosive media (1.5 times higher in fatigue limit). For the 2024 alloy the enhancement in fatigue lifetime for higher stresses was measured. Anodic polarization curve measurements were carried out at various values of fatigue cycles.     

Deformation and dissipated energies for high cycle fatigue of 2024-T3 aluminium alloy

During the high cycle fatigue of aluminium alloys, an energy dissipation occurs. This dissipation is hard to be estimated because of the high diffusivity of such alloys and the importance of the thermoelasticity effects in comparison with others standard metallic materials (e.g., steels). Nevertheless the study of the energy balance gives valuable information about the nature of deformation mechanisms facilitating the construction of constitutive models associated with the microplasticity and damage of the aluminium alloy. In this work, the different energies involved in the energy balance were deduced from two complementary imaging techniques. The dissipation and thermoelastic sources were derived from an infrared thermography system, while the deformation energy was estimated from a digital image correlation system. Three tests with various loading blocks were carried out and a comparison between deformation and dissipation energies was systematically performed.     

Fatigue crack growth retardation assessment of 2024-T3 and 6061-T6 aluminium specimens

A fatigue crack growth retardation model is developed. It considers a strip plastic zone with material hardening effect which is taken as one of the basic mechanisms controlling fatigue crack growth. Crack growth is treated incrementally and corresponds to the failure of material elements ahead of an existing crack after a certain critical number of low cycle fatigue. Computed curves are correlated to test data obtained from the 2024-T3 and 6061-T6 aluminium specimens. Deviations from test data increase with increasing crack length.     

Low-cycle fatigue of 7075-T651 aluminum alloy in biaxial bending

The uniaxial and biaxial low-cycle-fatigue life of 7075-T651 aluminum alloy in completely reversed bending is investigated. Uniaxial data is obtained from a cantilever specimen, and round and elliptical simply supported plate specimens are used for nominal strain biaxialities of 1∶1, 1∶075 and 1∶0.50 in the plane of the specimen. Experimental data is correlated on the basis of the total octahedral shearing strain range in which the dependent component strains are calculated using the “effective value” of Poisson's ratio for elastic-plastic loading. Good agreement is obtained oetween the uniaxial and biaxial data when the total octahedral shearing-strain range is plotted against the number of cycles to failure in logarithmic coordinates. Also, it is shown that, in anisotropic materials, the directional uniaxial and biaxial low-cycle properties can be predicted from fatigue properties in any one direction if the anisotropy of fracture ductility is known.     

Surface hardness increase of 2024 aluminum alloy subjected to cyclic loading

Constant amplitude fatigue tests at R = 0.1, conducted on the aircraft aluminum alloy 2024 T3, have revealed an appreciable surface hardness increase of the alloy at the nano- and meso-scale during fatigue. The observed surface hardness changes could be monitored with confidence by means of nanoindentations. The degree of hardening increases with increasing number of fatigue cycles following exponential relations. With increasing fatigue stress level degree of hardening increases as well. The observed results provide a basis for developing concepts to early detect and also monitor fatigue damage accumulation in aluminum aircraft structures based on measurements of the material’s hardness changes by means of nanoindentations.     

Fatigue and damage tolerance behaviour of corroded 2024 T351 aircraft aluminum alloy

The fatigue and damage tolerance behaviour of pre-corroded 2024 T351 aluminum alloy specimens has been investigated and compared to the behaviour of the uncorroded material. The experimental investigation was performed on specimens pre-corroded in exfoliation corrosion environment and included the derivation of S–N and fatigue crack growth curves as well as measurements of fracture toughness. The fatigue crack growth tests were performed for different stress ratios R. To obtain reference material behaviour all mechanical tests were repeated under the same conditions for uncorroded specimens. For the corroded material an appreciable decrease in fatigue resistance and damage tolerance was obtained. The results of the experimental investigation were discussed under the viewpoint of corrosion and corrosion-induced hydrogen embrittlement of the 2024 aluminum alloy. The need to account for the influence of pre-existing corrosion on the material’s properties in fatigue and damage tolerance analyses of components involving corroded areas was demonstrated.     

Tensile behaviour of corroded and hydrogen embrittled 2024 T351 aluminum alloy specimen

The synergetic effect of corrosion and corrosion induced hydrogen embrittlement damage processes which occur at local scale has been found to result in a dramatic macroscopic tensile ductility loss of the 2024 aluminum alloy. In the present work, the tensile behaviour of corroded 2024 T351 specimens has been estimated on the basis of FE analysis by taking into account the local material properties in the damaged areas. A parametric study is involved to account for the effect of thickness in the results. Calculated tensile properties obtained with the analysis agree well with experimental data.     

Damage percolation during stretch flange forming of aluminum alloy sheet

A multi-scale finite element (FE)-damage percolation model was employed to simulate stretch flange forming of aluminum alloys AA5182 and AA5754. Material softening and strain gradients were captured using a Gurson-based FE model. FE results were then fed into the so-called damage percolation code, from which the damage development was modelled within measured microstructures. The formability of the stretch flange samples was predicted based upon the onset of catastrophic failure triggered by profuse void coalescence within the measured second-phase particle field. Damage development is quantified in terms of crack and void areal fractions, and compared to metallographic results obtained from interrupted stretch flange specimens. Parametric study is conducted on the effect of void nucleation strain in the prediction of formability of stretch flanges to “calibrate” proper nucleation strains for both alloys.     

A linked FEM-damage percolation model of aluminum alloy sheet forming

A so-called damage percolation model is linked with a finite element model of a sheet forming process to offer a comprehensive study of ductile damage evolution. In the current study, a damage percolation code is linked with LS-DYNA, an explicit dynamic FEM code used to introduce local strain gradients and compliance effects due to damage-induced softening. The linked model utilizes a Gurson-based yield surface to account for the softening effects of void damage, while the local damage development and void linkage events are modeled using the damage percolation code. The percolation code accepts detailed second phase particle fields from image analysis of a 2.0×1.6 mm optical micrograph of AA5182 aluminum alloy sheet. The model is applied to a stretch-flange stamping process which is known to be a damage-sensitive operation. The critical conditions for fracture are predicted for various initial stretch flange hole sizes.     

6061-T6铝合金动态拉伸本构关系及失效行为

采用HMH-206高速材料试验机开展了6061-T6铝合金在0.001～100 s-1应变率范围内的静、动态拉伸力学性能实验,分析了其应力-应变响应特征和应变率敏感性,讨论了应变率对6061-T6铝合金流动应力和应变率敏感性指数的影响,并基于实验结果对Johnson-Cook本构模型进行了修正。结合缺口试件的实验结果和模拟数据,得到了材料的Johnson-Cook失效模型参数,并对模型的准确性和适用性进行了验证。结果表明,在拉伸载荷作用下,6061-T6铝合金表现出明显的应变硬化特征和应变率敏感性,其流动应力随应变率的升高而提高,修正的Johnson-Cook本构模型可以描述材料的动态塑性流动行为,建立的Johnson-Cook失效模型能够表征材料的断裂失效行为。     

Fatigue striation spacing and equivalent initial flaw size in Al 2024-T3 riveted specimens

One of the main concerns of aeronautical structures is structural damage due to fatigue. This phenomenon is accentuated in areas of stress concentration, namely the connection of components. The fuselage is one of the most important structural elements where the connection of the fuselage panels is often done by riveting. Specimens with several geometric configurations are used to study these structures. This work is concerned with the study of one of these specimens, i.e., the lap splice with three rows of rivets and one rivet column. It is part of the IDMEC-Porto contribution to the European project ADMIRE. Stress versus number of cycles results and measurements of fatigue striation spacing along two perpendicular directions using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) are presented. The fractographic reconstitution of fatigue crack growth was carried out. The value of equivalent initial flaw size (EIFS) is calculated using the back extrapolation technique and two models of fatigue crack growth. They consist of a model using the Paris law and another the strain energy density factor concept. The EIFS is used to predict the fatigue behaviour of this structural detail. It is intended to verify the applicability of empirical models based in experimental evidences.     

Plastic flow for non-monotonic loading conditions of an aluminum alloy sheet sample

Non-linear deformation paths obtained using uniaxial tension followed by simple shear tests were performed for a 1050-O aluminum alloy sheet sample in different specimen orientations with respect to the material symmetry axes. In order to eliminate the time influence, the time interval between the first and second loading steps was kept constant for all the tests. Monotonic uniaxial tension tests interrupted during loading were used to assess the recovery that takes place during this time. In order to eliminate the influence of the initial plastic anisotropy and to compare the results as if the material hardening was isotropic, the flow stress was represented as a function of the plastic work. The behavior of the material after reloading was analyzed in terms of dislocation microstructure and crystallographic texture evolutions. For more quantitative assessment, the full constraints [Int. J. Plasticity 13 (1997) 75] and visco-plastic self-consistent [Acta Metall. Mater. 41 (1993) 2611] polycrystal models were used to simulate the material behavior in the non-linear deformation paths. Based on experimental and simulation results, the relative contributions of the crystallographic texture and dislocation microstructure evolution to the anisotropic hardening behavior of the material were discussed.     

On strain and damage interactions during tearing: 3D in situ measurements and simulations for a ductile alloy (AA2139-T3)

Strain and damage interactions during tearing of a ductile Al-alloy with high work hardening are assessed in situ and in 3D combining two recently developed experimental techniques, namely, synchrotron laminography and digital volume correlation. Digital volume correlation consists of registering 3D laminography images. Via simultaneous assessments of 3D strain and damage at a distance of 1-mm ahead of a notch root of a thin Compact Tension-like specimen, it is found that parallel crossing slant strained bands are active from the beginning of loading in a region where the crack will be slanted. These bands have an intermittent activity but are stable in space. Even at late stages of deformation strained bands can stop their activity highlighting the importance of plasticity on the failure process rather than damage softening. One void is followed over the loading history and seen to grow and orient along the slant strained band at very late stages of deformation. Void growth and strain are quantified. Gurson–Tvergaard–Needleman-type simulations using damage nucleation for shear, which is based on the Lode parameter, are performed and capture slant fracture but not the initial strain fields and in particular the experimentally found slant bands. The band formation and strain distribution inside and outside the bands are discussed further using plane strain simulations accounting for plastic material heterogeneity in soft zones.     

Protective role of local Al cladding against corrosion damage and hydrogen embrittlement of 2024 aluminum alloy specimens

The present investigation aims to inquire whether Al cladding of 2024 aluminum alloy specimens could provide, additionally to the expected protection against corrosion damage, also a protection against the corrosion induced hydrogen embrittlement of the alloy. The latter is observed when bare 2024 material is subjected to laboratory exfoliation corrosion exposure also in the absence of mechanical loading. Furthermore, the study aims to ponder on the question whether local Al cladding at small regions of the specimen surface might suffice for protecting the specimen against corrosion damage and hydrogen embrittlement. The work comprises the results of an extensive experimental investigation including tensile tests on precorroded 2024 specimens protected through both complete and local surface Al cladding, metallographic and fractographic analyses as well as measurements of the hydrogen uptake during the corrosion process.     

宽应变率范围下2A16-T4铝合金动态力学性能

为了研究2A16-T4铝合金的动态力学性能,利用电子万能试验机、高速液压伺服试验机及霍普金森压杆(SHPB)装置进行常温下准静态、中应变率和高应变率的动态力学性能实验,得到不同应变率下的应力应变曲线,基于修正的Johnson-Cook本构模型对它进行拟合,并分析材料中应变率力学特性对模型应变率敏感参量的影响。结果表明:2A16-T4铝合金在应变率10-4~102 s-1范围内应变率敏感性较弱,而在102~103 s-1范围内应变率敏感性较强,且应变率强化效应随塑性应变的增大而减小;同时,在10-4~103 s-1范围内具有较强的应变硬化效应,且应变硬化效应随应变率的增大而减小;此外,修正Johnson-Cook本构模型的拟合结果与实验结果吻合很好,能够很好表征材料的动态力学行为,且考虑材料中应变率力学特性可提高本构模型参量的准确性。     

Pressure-shear waves in 6061-T6 aluminum and alpha-titanium

Thepressure-shear plate impact technique is used to study material behavior at high rates of deformation. In this technique, plastic waves of combined pressure and shear stresses are produced by impact of parallel plates skewed relative to their direction of approach. Commercially pure alpha-titanium and 6061-T6 aluminum are tested under a variety of pressure and shear tractions by using different combinations of impact velocities and angles of inclination. A laser interferometer system is used to monitor simultaneously the normal and transverse components of motion of a point at the rear surface of the target plate. The experimental results are compared with numerical solutions based on an elastic/viscoplastic model of the material. Both isotropic and kinematic strain hardening models are used in the computations. The results indicate that unlike the normal velocity profiles, the transverse velocity profiles are sensitive to the dynamic plastic response and, thus, can be used to study material behavior at high strain rates. For the materials tested the results suggest that the flow stress required for plastic straining increases markedly with increasing strain rate at strain rates above 10⁴s^?1. Hydrostatic pressure of the order that exists in the tests (up to 2 GPa) does not affect the plastic flow in 6061-T6 aluminum and appears to have at most a minor effect on the deformation of the titanium.     

Tensile and energy density properties of 2024, 6013, 8090 and 2091 aircraft aluminum alloy after corrosion exposure

Evaluation was made for the corrosion susceptibility of aircraft structure aluminum alloys 2024 T351, 6013 T6, 8090 T81 and 2091 T84. Tensile and energy density data were obtained. Stereoscopic and metallographic corrosion analysis were made as well. The specimens were pre-corroded using accelerated laboratory corrosion tests or out-door atmospheric conditions before testing. Noticeable decrease of yield and ultimate tensile stress were detected when the specimen surface was corroded. Dramatic volumetric embrittlement was observed even after short exposure times that were not sufficient for the appreciable development of surface corrosion attack. Observed material degradation behavior is attributed to hydrogen penetration and absorption.     

An energy approach to the link-up of multiple cracks in thin aluminum alloy sheets

An energy approach has been used in the study of the coalescence or linkage of multiple cracks in aluminum alloy sheets. The study was motivated by concern for the structural integrity of aging aircraft. Forty reported tests for 2024-T3 aluminum panels with a major crack and several multiple-site damage (MSD) cracks have been analyzed via a simple computational model with a Dugdale–Barenblatt [D.S. Dugdale, J. Mech. Phys. Solids 8 (1960) 100–104; G.I. Barenblatt, in: H.L. Dryden, Th. VonKarman (Eds.), Advances in Applied Mechanics, vol. II, 1962, pp. 55–130] type of plastic or inelastic deformation. For simplicity, the computational model considers only the plastic interaction between the major crack and two symmetrically adjacent MSD cracks in an infinite sheet under remote tensile stress. By following the approach given in [B. Cotterell, J. K. Reddel, Int. J. Fract. 13 (1977) 267–277], the specific work to cause ligament failure is found to be a linear function of the normal extent of the confined plastic region for most tests considered. A few exceptions to this linear relation are attributed to the limitation of the employed computational model. A new criterion and an engineering method to predict crack link-up in an MSD sheet are proposed based on this specific work concept, and they have been demonstrated through application to stiffened panels.