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Crack deflection: Implications for the growth of long and short fatigue cracks

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Abstract

The influences of crack deflection on the growth rates ofnominally Mode I fatigue cracks are examined. Previous theoretical analyses of stress intensity solutions for kinked elastic cracks are reviewed. Simple elastic deflection models are developed to estimate the growth rates of nonlinear fatigue cracks subjected to various degrees of deflection, by incorporating changes in the effective driving force and in the apparent propagation rates. Experimental data are presented for intermediate-quenched and step-quenched conditions of Fe/2Si/0.1C ferrite-martensite dual phase steel, where variations in crack morphology alone influence considerably the fatigue crack propagation rates and threshold stress intensity range values. Such results are found to be in good quantitative agreement with the deflection model predictions of propagation rates for nonlinear cracks. Experimental information on crack deflection, induced by variable amplitude loading, is also provided for 2020-T651 aluminum alloy. It is demonstrated with the aid of elastic analyses and experiments that crack deflection models offer a physically-appealing rationale for the apparently slower growth rates of long fatigue cracks subjected to constant and variable amplitude loading and for the apparent deceleration and/or arrest of short cracks. The changes in the propagation rates of deflected fatigue cracks are discussed in terms of thelocal mode of crack advance, microstructure, effective driving force, growth mechanisms, mean stress, slip characteristics, and crack closure.

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Abbreviations

a :

length of the main cracks

a ij :

angular functions

b :

length of the first kink

b 1 :

length of the fork

b 1 :

length of the second kink

c :

nominal length of a fatigue crack

D :

length of the deflected segment

dc/dN :

nominal crack growth rate

dc/dN :

growth rate of a deflected crack

k eff :

effective stress intensity factor for a deflected crack

k 1 :

Mode I stress intensity factor for a deflected crack

k 1 :

Mode I stress intensity factor for an inclined crack

K 1 :

Mode I stress intensity factor for a linear crack

jc 2 :

Mode II stress intensity factor for a deflected crack

k 2 :

Mode II stress intensity factor for an inclined crack

K II :

Mode II stress intensity factor for a linear crack

N :

number of fatigue cycles

R :

nominal load ratio (= (K 1)min/(K 1,(max)

R :

load ratio accounting for crack deflection (=k min/k max

R :

load ratio accounting for crack deflection and crack closure (=k cl/k max)

S :

length of the linear segment

α:

angle of second deflection for long tilted crack

δK eff :

effective stress intensity factor range accounting for deflection

δK eff :

effective stress intensity factor range accounting for crack closure

δK 1 :

nominal Mode I stress intensity factor range

δK 1 :

average stress intensity factor range in a segment

θ:

angle of first deflection for a long crack

θo :

angle of initial inclination for a short crack

θ1 :

angle of first deflection for a short crack

δΣe :

fatigue limit

δΣTH :

threshold cyclic stress range for short cracks

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  1. Division of Engineering, Brown University, 02912, Providence, RI

    S. Suresh (Assistant Professor)

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  1. S. Suresh
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Formerly with the University of California, Berkeley.

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Suresh, S. Crack deflection: Implications for the growth of long and short fatigue cracks. Metall Trans A 14, 2375–2385 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02663313

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