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At least 91 records · Page 5

Effects of shot-peening residual stresses on the fracture and crack-growth properties of D6AC steel

The fracture strength and cyclic crack-growth properties of surface-flawed, shot-peened D6AC steel plate were investigated. For short crack lengths (up to 1.5 mm) simple linear elastic fracture mechanics - based only on applied loading - did not predict the fracture strengths. Also, Paris' Law for cyclic crack growth did not correlate the crack-growth behavior. To investigate the effect of shot-peening, additional fracture and crack-growth tests were performed on material which was precompressed to remove the residual stresses left by the shot-peening. Both tests and analysis show that shot-peening residual stresses influence the fracture and crack-growth properties of the material. This report presents the analytical method of compensating for residual stresses and the fracture and cyclic crack-growth test results and predictions.

Elber, W.↗

Periodic Overload and Transport Spectrum Fatigue Crack Growth Tests of Ti62222STA and Al2024T3 Sheet

Variable amplitude loading crack growth tests have been conducted to provide data that can be used to evaluate crack growth prediction codes. Tests with periodic overloads or overloads followed by underloads were conducted on titanium alloy Ti-6Al-2Sn-2Zr-2Mo-2Cr solution treated and aged (Ti62222STA) material at room temperature and at 350 F. Spectrum fatigue crack growth tests were conducted on two materials (Ti62222STA and aluminum alloy 2024-T3) using two transport lower-wing test spectra at two temperatures (room temperature and 350 F (Ti only)). Test lives (growth from an initial crack half-length of 0.15 in. to failure) were recorded in all tests and the crack length against cycles (or flights) data were recorded in many of the tests. The following observations were made regarding the test results: (1) in tests of the Ti62222STA material, the tests at 350 F had longer lives than those at room temperature, (2) in tests to the MiniTwist spectrum, the Al2024T3 material showed much greater crack growth retardations due to the highest stresses in the spectrum than did the Ti62222STA material, and (3) comparisons of material crack growth performances on an "equal weight" basis were spectrum dependent.

Phillips, Edward P.↗

The Effects of Shot and Laser Peening on Fatigue Life and Crack Growth in 2024 Aluminum Alloy and 4340 Steel

Fatigue and crack growth tests have been conducted on 4340 steel and 2024-T3 aluminum alloy, respectively, to assess the effects of shot peening on fatigue life and the effects of shot and laser peening on crack growth. Two current programs involving fixed and rotary-wing aircraft will not be using shot peened structures. Since the shot peening compressive residual stress depth is usually less than the 0.05-inch initial damage tolerance crack size, it is believed by some that shot peening should have no beneficial effects toward retarding crack growth. In this study cracks were initiated from an electronic-discharged machining flaw which was cycled to produce a fatigue crack of approximately 0.05-inches in length and then the specimens were peened. Test results showed that after peening the crack growth rates were noticeably slower when the cracks were fairly short for both the shot and laser peened specimens resulting in a crack growth life that was a factor of 2 to 4 times greater than the results of the average unpeened test. Once the cracks reached a length of approximately 0.1-inches the growth rates were about the same for the peened and unpeened specimens. Fatigue tests on 4340 steel showed that the endurance limit of a test specimen with a 0.002-inch-deep machining-like scratch was reduced by approximately 40 percent. However, if the "scratched" specimen was shot peened after inserting the scratch, the fatigue life returned to almost 100 percent of the unflawed specimens original fatigue life.

Everett, R. A., Jr.↗

Fatigue crack growth at elevated temperature 316 stainless steel and H-13 steel

Crack growths were measured at elevated temperatures under four types of loading: pp, pc, cp, and cc. In H-13 steel, all these four types of loading gave nearly the same crack growth rates, and the length of hold time had negligible effects. In AISI 316 stainless steel, the hold time effects on crack growth rate were negligible if the loading was tension-tension type; however, these effects were significant in reversed bending load, and the crack growth rates under these four types of loading varied considerably. Both tensile and compressive hold times caused increased crack growth rate, but the compressive hold period was more deleterious than the tensile one. Metallographic examination showed that all the crack paths under different types of loading were largely transgranular for both CTS tension-tension specimens and SEN reversed cantilever bending specimens. In addition, an electric potential technique was used to monitor crack growth at elevated temperature.

Chen, W. C.↗

Fatigue life and crack growth prediction methodology

The capabilities of a plasticity-induced crack-closure model and life-prediction code to predict fatigue crack growth and fatigue lives of metallic materials are reviewed. Crack-tip constraint factors, to account for three-dimensional effects, were selected to correlate large-crack growth rate data as a function of the effective-stress-intensity factor range (delta(K(sub eff))) under constant-amplitude loading. Some modifications to the delta(K(sub eff))-rate relations were needed in the near threshold regime to fit small-crack growth rate behavior and endurance limits. The model was then used to calculate small- and large-crack growth rates, and in some cases total fatigue lives, for several aluminum and titanium alloys under constant-amplitude, variable-amplitude, and spectrum loading. Fatigue lives were calculated using the crack growth relations and microstructural features like those that initiated cracks. Results from the tests and analyses agreed well.

Newman, J. C., Jr.↗

Effects of constraint on crack growth under aircraft spectrum loading

The objective is to study the effects of constraint on fatigue crack growth under aircraft spectrum loading. A plasticity-induced crack-closure model that accounts for constraint variations during the transition from flat-to-slant crack growth was used to correlate crack-growth rate data under constant-amplitude loading and to calculate crack growth under simulated aircraft spectrum loading. The model was applied to several thin-sheet aluminum alloy materials. Under laboratory air conditions, the transition was shown to be related to the size of the cyclic plastic zone based on the effective stress-intensity factor range for several sheet materials and thicknesses. Results from three-dimensional, elastic-plastic, finite-element analyses of a flat, straight-through crack in a thin-sheet aluminum alloy specimen showed a constraint loss similar to that assumed in the model. Using test data and the closure model, the location of the constraint-loss regime in terms of growth rate and the value of the constraint factor at these rates were determined by trial and error. The model was then used to calculate crack growth under the TWIST spectrum. The calculated results agreed reasonably well with test data. In general, the model predicted shorter crack-growth lives than tests under the TWIST spectrum by about 40 percent. For the TWIST spectrum clipped at Level 3, the calculated lives were within about 20 percent. The results demonstrated that constraint variations, especially for thin-sheet alloys, should be accounted for to predict crack growth under typical aircraft spectra.

Newman, J. C., Jr.↗

High Temperature Fatigue Crack Growth Behavior of Alloy 10

Methods to improve the high temperature, dwell crack growth resistance of Alloy 10, a high strength, nickel-base disk alloy, were studied. Two approaches, heat treat variations and composition modifications, were investigated. Under the heat treat approach, solution temperature, cooling rates, and stabilization, were studied. It was found that higher solution temperatures, which promote coarser grain sizes, coupled with a 1550 F stabilization treatment were found to significantly reduce dwell crack growth rates at 1300 F Changes in the niobium and tantalum content were found to have a much smaller impact on crack growth behavior. Lowering the niobium:tantalum ratio did improve crack growth resistance and this effect was most pronounced for coarse grain microstructures. Based on these findings, a coarse grain microstructure for Alloy 10 appears to be the best option for improving dwell crack growth resistance, especially in the rim of a disk where temperatures can reach or exceed 1300 T. Further, the use of advanced processing technologies, which can produce a coarse grain rim and fine grain bore, would be the preferred option for Alloy 10 to obtain the optimal balance between tensile, creep, and crack growth requirements for small gas turbine engines.

Gayda, John↗

The effect of water vapor on fatigue crack Growth in 7475-t651 aluminum alloy plate

The effects of water vapor on fatigue crack growth in 7475-T651 aluminum alloy plate at frequencies of 1 Hz and 10 Hz were investigated. Twenty-five mm thick compact specimens were subjected to constant amplitude fatigue testing at a load ratio of 0.2. Fatigue crack growth rates were calculated from effective crack lengths determined using a compliance method. Tests were conducted in hard vacuum and at water vapor partial pressures ranging from 94 Pa to 3.8 kPa. Fatigue crack growth rates were frequency insensitive under all environment conditions tested. For constant stress intensity factor ranges crack growth rate transitions occurred at low and high water vapor pressures. Crack growth rates at intermediate pressures were relatively constant and showed reasonable agreement with published data for two Al-Cu-Mg alloys. The existence of two crack growth rate transitions suggests either a change in rate controlling kinetics or a change in corrosion fatigue mechanism as a function of water vapor pressure. Reduced residual deformation and transverse cracking specimens tested in water vapor versus vacuum may be evidence of embrittlement within the plastic zone due to environmental interaction.

Dicus, D. L.↗

Effect of water vapor on fatigue crack growth in 7475-T651 aluminum alloy plate

The effects of water vapor on fatigue crack growth in 7475-T651 aluminum alloy plate at frequencies of 1 Hz and 10 Hz were investigated. Twenty-five mm thick compact specimens were subjected to constant amplitude fatigue testing at a load ratio of 0.2. Fatigue crack growth rates were calculated from effective crack lengths determined using a compliance method. Tests were conducted in hard vacuum and at water vapor partial pressures ranging from 94 Pa to 3.8 kPa. Fatigue crack growth rates were frequency insensitive under all environment conditions tested. For constant stress intensity factor ranges crack growth rate transitions occurred at low and high water vapor pressures. Crack growth rates at intermediate pressures were relatively constant and showed reasonable agreement with published data for two Al-Cu-Mg alloys. The existence of two crack growth rate transitions suggests either a change in rate controlling kinetics or a change in corrosion fatigue mechanism as a function of water vapor pressure. Reduced residual deformation and transverse cracking specimens tested in water vapor versus vacuum may be evidence of embrittlement within the plastic zone due to environmental interaction.

Dicus, D. L.↗

Separating the Influence of Environment from Stress Relaxation Effects on Dwell Fatigue Crack Growth

Seven different microstructural variations of LSHR were produced by controlling the cooling rate and the subsequent aging and thermal exposure heat treatments. Through cyclic fatigue crack growth testing performed both in air and vacuum, it was established that four out of the seven LSHR heat treatments evaluated, possessed similar intrinsic environmental resistance to cyclic crack growth. For these four heat treatments, it was further shown that the large differences in dwell crack growth behavior which still persisted, were related to their measured stress relaxation behavior. The apparent differences in their dwell crack growth resistance were attributed to the inability of the standard linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) stress intensity parameter to account for visco-plastic behavior. Crack tip stress relaxation controls the magnitude of the remaining local tensile stresses which are directly related to the measured dwell crack growth rates. It was hypothesized that the environmentally weakened grain boundary crack tip regions fail during the dwells when their strength is exceeded by the remaining local crack tip tensile stresses. It was shown that the classical creep crack growth mechanisms such as grain boundary sliding did not contribute to crack growth, but the local visco-plastic behavior still plays a very significant role by determining the crack tip tensile stress field which controls the dwell crack growth behavior. To account for the influence of the visco-plastic behavior on the crack tip stress field, an empirical modification to the LEFM stress intensity parameter, Kmax, was developed by incorporating into the formulation the remaining stress level concept as measured by simple stress relaxation tests. The newly proposed parameter, Ksrf, did an excellent job in correlating the dwell crack growth rates for the four heat treatments which were shown to have similar intrinsic environmental cyclic fatigue crack growth resistance.

environmental damage↗

Effect of Microstructure on Time Dependent Fatigue Crack Growth Behavior In a P/M Turbine Disk Alloy

A study was conducted to determine the processes which govern hold time crack growth behavior in the LSHR disk P/M superalloy. Nineteen different heat treatments of this alloy were evaluated by systematically controlling the cooling rate from the supersolvus solutioning step and applying various single and double step aging treatments. The resulting hold time crack growth rates varied by more than two orders of magnitude. It was shown that the associated stress relaxation behavior for these heat treatments was closely correlated with the crack growth behavior. As stress relaxation increased, the hold time crack growth resistance was also increased. The size of the tertiary gamma' in the general microstructure was found to be the key microstructural variable controlling both the hold time crack growth behavior and stress relaxation. No relationship between the presence of grain boundary M23C6 carbides and hold time crack growth was identified which further brings into question the importance of the grain boundary phases in determining hold time crack growth behavior. The linear elastic fracture mechanics parameter, Kmax, is unable to account for visco-plastic redistribution of the crack tip stress field during hold times and thus is inadequate for correlating time dependent crack growth data. A novel methodology was developed which captures the intrinsic crack driving force and was able to collapse hold time crack growth data onto a single curve.

Telesman, Ignacy J.↗

Creep crack growth predictions in INCO 718 using a continuum damage model

Creep crack growth tests have been carried out in compact type specimens of INCO 718 at 1200 F (649 C). Theoretical creep crack growth predictions have been carried out by incorporating a unified viscoplastic constitutive model and a continuum damage model into the ARAQUS nonlinear finite element program. Material constants for both the viscoplastic model and the creep continuum damage model were determined from tests carried out on uniaxial bar specimens of INCO 718 at 1200 F (649 C). A comparison of the theoretical creep crack growth rates obtained from the finite element predictions with the experimentally observed creep crack growth rates indicates that the viscoplastic/continuum damage model can be used to successfully predict creep crack growth in compact type specimens using material constants obtained from uniaxial bar specimens of INCO 718 at 1200 F (649 C).

Walker, K. P.↗

Data base for crack growth properties of materials

A computerized data base of crack growth properties of materials was developed for use in fracture control analysis of rocket engine components and other NASA space hardware. The software system has files of basic crack growth rate data, other fracture mechanics material properties such as fracture toughness and environmental crack growth threshold values, and plotting and fitting routines for deriving material properties for use in fracture control analysis. An extensive amount of data was collected and entered, and work is continuing on compiling additional data. The data base and software codes are useful both for fracture control analysis and for evaluation or development of improved crack growth theories.

Forman, Royce G.↗

A Specimen Size Effect on the Fatigue Crack Growth Rate Threshold of IN 718

Fatigue crack growth rate (FCGR) tests were conducted on IN 718 in the solution annealed and aged condition at room temperature in accordance with E647-87. As part of each test, the FCGR threshold was measured using the decreasing Delta K method. A new heat of material was being tested and some of this material was sent to a different laboratory which wanted to use a specimen with a 127 mm width. Threshold data previously had been established on specimens with a width of 50.8 mm. As a check of the laboratory, tests were conducted at room temperature and R equal to 0.1 for comparison with the earlier data. The results were a threshold significantly higher than previously observed. Interchanging of specimen sizes and laboratories showed that the results were not due to a heat-to-heat or lab-to-lab variation. The results to be presented here are those obtained at the original laboratory. Growth rates were measured using the electric potential drop technique at R values of 0.1, 0.7, and 0.9. Compact tension specimen sizes with planer dimensions of 25.4 mm, 50.8 mm, and 127 mm were used. Crack growth rates at threshold were generally below 2.5 X 10(exp -8) mm / cycle. Closure measurements were made on some of the specimens by a manual procedure using a clip gage. When the crack growth rate data for the specimens tested at R equal to 0.1 were plotted as a function of applied Delta K, the thresholds varied with specimen width. The larger the width, the higher the threshold. The thresholds varied from 6.5 MPa-m(exp 1/2) for the 25.4 mm specimen to 15.4 MPa-m(exp 1/2) for the 127 mm specimen. At R equal to 0.7, the 25.4 mm and 50.8 mm specimens had essentially the same threshold, about 2.9 MPa-m(exp 1/2)while the 127 mm specimen had a threshold of 4.5 MPa-m(exp 1/2). When plotted as a function of effective Delta K, the R equal to 0.1 data are essentially normalized. Various aspects of the test procedure will be discussed as well as the results of analysis of the data using some different closure models.

Garr, K. R.↗

Shear fatigue crack growth - A literature survey

Recent studies of shear crack growth are reviewed, emphasizing test methods and data analyses. The combined mode I and mode II elastic crack tip stress fields are considered. The development and design of the compact shear specimen are described, and the results of fatigue crack growth tests using compact shear specimens are reviewed. The fatigue crack growth tests are discussed and the results of inclined cracks in tensile panels, center cracks in plates under biaxial loading, cracked beam specimens with combined bending and shear loading, center-cracked panels and double edge-cracked plates under cyclic shear loading are examined and analyzed in detail.

Liu, H. W.↗

Results of FY 2023 Alloy 617 and Alloy 709 High-Temperature Crack-Growth Testing

This report summarizes the work performed at Idaho National Laboratory under the “Creep, fatigue and creep-fatigue crack growth tests” task of the “Long-Term VHTR Material Qualification – INL” work package. Work was performed this year to validate the crack growth monitoring setup used with the test frames against both continuous crack length monitoring using an optical camera, as well as post-mortem analysis of marker bands on the fracture surface. Delays prevented the use of a gauge to measure load-line displacement for early tests, and so the creep-fatigue crack growth setup was evaluated using the actuator displacement for a load-line displacement setup. While not ideal, this allowed examination of the shortcomings with the current software setup that was originally designed for performing stress corrosion crack growth rate studies. The method for data collection was modified to link the crack growth monitoring software with Instron’s Wave Matrix software. Once the load-line displacement gauge arrived, the crack growth equipment was successfully modified to permit continuous monitoring of both load-line displacement and crack length. This is critical for creep-fatigue and creep crack growth rate studies for ductile material, as it permits the C* and Ct analyses. Test results are shown for Alloy 617 fatigue and creep-fatigue (without the gauge for load-line displacement measurements), as well as creep-fatigue of Alloy 709, which was performed with the completed test setup, allowing for crack length and load-line displacement monitoring.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Slow Crack Growth of Brittle Materials With Exponential Crack-Velocity Formulation: Analysis - Part 1

Extensive slow-crack-growth (SCG) analysis was made using a primary exponential crack-velocity formulation under three widely used load configurations: constant stress rate, constant stress, and cyclic stress. Although the use of the exponential formulation in determining SCG parameters of a material requires somewhat inconvenient numerical procedures, the resulting solutions presented gave almost the same degree of simplicity in both data analysis and experiments as did the power-law formulation. However, the fact that the inert strength of a material should be known in advance to determine the corresponding SCG parameters was a major drawback of the exponential formulation as compared with the power-law formulation.

Choi, Sung R.↗

Prediction of fatigue-crack growth under variableamplitude and spectrum loading using a closure model

An existing analytical crack closure model was used to study crack growth under various load histories. The model was based on a concept like the Dugdale model, but modified to leave plastically deformed material in the wake of the advancing crack tip. The model was used to correlate crack growth rates under constant amplitude loading, and to predict crack growth under variable amplitude and aircraft spectrum loading on 2219-T851 aluminum alloy sheet material. The predicted crack growth lives agreed well with experimental data. For 80 crack growth tests subjected to various load histories, the ratio of predicted-to-experimental lives (N(P)/n(T)) ranged from 0.5 to 1.8. The mean value of N(P)/N(T) was 0.97 and the standard deviation was 0.27.

Newman, J. C., Jr.↗