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Fatigue and Fracture of Metals and Alloys: Numerical and Experimental Study (2nd Volume)

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A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Metals and Alloys".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 November 2023) | Viewed by 17020

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Dr. Jaroslaw Gałkiewicz

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Faculty of Mechatronics and Mechanical Engineering, Kielce University of Technology, Aleja Tysiaclecia Panstwa Polskiego 7, 25-314 Kielce, Poland
Interests: fracture mechanics; fatigue strength; constraint effects in fracture
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Prof. Dr. Lucjan Śnieżek

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Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Military University and Technology, 2 Kaliskiego Street, 00-908 Warsaw, Poland
Interests: fatigue strength; friction stir welding; additive manufacturing technologies
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The success of the first part of the Special Issue: “Numerical‒experimental studies of fatigue and cracking of metals and alloys” proves that the issues of fatigue and fracture mechanics are still an open matter and require further research. This fact encouraged us to create a second Special Issue under the same title that will further develop the problem of the behaviour of structural elements under the influence of loads that lead to their destruction.

Fatigue and fracture can be analysed from different points of view. There is room here to study the structure of the material, influence of the environment, shape of the structural element, or type of load. Research can be conducted in the laboratory on real elements, but many analyses require a numerical approach that is often very advanced, thus requiring the creation of new tools. Similar to the process of studying the phenomena accompanying fatigue and cracking, it requires extremely expensive and innovative tools, which have been presented many times in the previous Issue.

Thus, we invite everyone who works in the described area to present their latest findings that lead to a better understanding of the fracture and fatigue processes.

Prof. Dr. Jaroslaw Galkiewicz
Prof. Dr. Lucjan Śnieżek
Guest Editors

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Keywords

fracture mechanics
fatigue
constraint effect
digital image correlation
fatigue strength

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Published Papers (11 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 9267 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Failure Analysis of Cracked P110 Repaired Tubing Used for Gas Transmission

by Shuxin Zhang, Faqin Xie, Xiangqing Wu, Xi Yan, Jinheng Luo, Xiaoliang Ma and Gege Su

Materials 2023, 16(22), 7151; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16227151 - 14 Nov 2023

Viewed by 954

Abstract

With green and low-carbon developments in oil fields, an increasing amount of repaired oil tubing is being used as oil and gas transmission pipelines in China. However, due to differences in manufacturing standards between oil tubing and transmission pipelines, there are inevitably some issues during their use. This paper investigates a case of cracking failure in repaired oil tubing used as a gathering and transportation pipeline. The failure occurred after eight months of operation and was characterized by a circumferential crack at the male thread end of the tubing joint. To determine the root cause of the failure, a series of experiments were conducted on the oil tubing. The experiments included visual inspection, chemical composition analysis, mechanical properties testing, hardness testing, metallographic examination, and microstructure analysis. The results revealed that the thread of the cracked tubing was not tightened to the specified position; the connection between the tubing and the coupling was welded in a circumferential direction; and cracks occurred in the heat-affected zone of the weld. Chemical composition, tensile performance, and the Charpy impact of the tubing meet the requirements of API 5CT for P110 material, and no abnormalities were found in the metallographic structure. The microstructure at the weld toe of the fracture is martensite, and the hardness is 476 HV10. Based on the thermal simulation verification test, when the material of the tubing cools from 1200 °C, which is located in the coarse HAZ temperature zone, the base metal transforms into martensite with a little granular bainite, exhibiting its highest hardness value at 371 HV10, which is higher than the allowable hardness for carbon steel and indicates the material has poor weldability. The reasons for the cracking and failure of the tubing are that the P110 repaired tubing has a high carbon equivalent and poor weldability. During the welding process, martensitic structure was formed at the weld toe, and cold cracks appeared in the heat-affected zone, resulting in failure. To avoid the reoccurrence of such failure, recommendations are proposed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fatigue and Fracture of Metals and Alloys: Numerical and Experimental Study (2nd Volume))

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12 pages, 6118 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Shot Peening on the Low-Cycle Fatigue Behavior of an AA2519-T62 Friction-Stir-Welded Butt Joint

by Robert Kosturek, Tomasz Ślęzak, Janusz Torzewski, Magdalena Bucior, Władysław Zielecki, Lucjan Śnieżek and Jarosław Sęp

Materials 2023, 16(22), 7131; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16227131 - 11 Nov 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 945

Abstract

In this investigation, an AA2519-T62 FSW butt joint was subjected to shot peening with an air pressure of p = 0.6 MPa, a processing time of t = 10 min (per side), and a steel ball diameter of d_k = 1.5 mm. In order to evaluate the impact of shot peening on the low-cycle behavior, the samples were tested with coefficient R = 0.1 at total strain amplitudes of 0.35%, 0.4%, and 0.5%. The shot-peened welds are characterized by a higher value of stress amplitude, a lower value of plastic strain amplitude, and their fatigue life increased slightly. The cyclic strength coefficient and the cyclic strain hardening exponent were reduced by 45% and 55%, respectively, as the result of the surface layer hardening. The shot peening process had no noticeable effect on the character of crack initiation and propagation. Almost in all cases, the cracking started in the area under the weld face, located close to the boundary between the thermo-mechanically affected zone and the stir zone at the advancing side. Only at the heaviest loadings (ε_ac = 0.5%) were cracks initiated in the heat-affected zone at the retreating side. Despite the introduction of small cracks in the stir zone, their presence did not affect the decohesion character of the welded joint. Overall, it was observed that there is a minimal, positive impact of shot peening on the properties of the investigated joints. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fatigue and Fracture of Metals and Alloys: Numerical and Experimental Study (2nd Volume))

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25 pages, 9449 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Investigation of the Combined Influence of Temperature and Humidity on Fatigue Crack Growth Rate in Al6082 Alloy in a Coastal Environment

by Ibrahim Alqahtani, Andrew Starr and Muhammad Khan

Materials 2023, 16(21), 6833; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16216833 - 24 Oct 2023

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1551

Abstract

The fatigue crack growth rate (FCGR) of aluminium alloys under the combined influence of temperature and humidity remains a relatively unexplored area, receiving limited attention due to its intricate nature and challenges in predicting the combined impact of these factors. The challenge was to investigate and address the specific mechanisms and interactions between temperature and humidity, as in coastal environment conditions, on the FCGR of aluminium alloy. The present study conducts a comprehensive investigation into the combined influence of temperature and humidity on the FCGR of the Al6082 alloy. The fatigue pre-cracked compact tension specimens were corroded for 7 days and then subjected to various temperature and humidity conditions in a thermal chamber for 3 days to simulate coastal environments. The obtained data were analysed to determine the influence of temperature and humidity on the FCGR of the Al6082 alloy. An empirical model was also established to precisely predict fatigue life cycle values under these environmental conditions. The correlation between FCGR and fracture toughness models was also examined. The Al6082 alloy exhibits a 34% increase in the Paris constant C, indicating reduced FCGR resistance due to elevated temperature and humidity levels. At the same time, fatigue, corrosion, moisture-assisted crack propagation, and hydrogen embrittlement lead to a 27% decrease in threshold fracture toughness. The developed model exhibited accurate predictions for fatigue life cycles, and the correlation between fracture toughness and FCGR showed an error of less than 10%, indicating a strong relationship between these parameters. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fatigue and Fracture of Metals and Alloys: Numerical and Experimental Study (2nd Volume))

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16 pages, 12497 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fatigue Analysis of Welded Joints Using a Thin-Walled Al/Fe Explosive Welded Transition Joints

by Dominika Płaczek, Paweł Maćkowiak and Dariusz Boroński

Materials 2023, 16(18), 6259; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16186259 - 18 Sep 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1263

Abstract

The study presents an analysis of S355J2+N steel and AA5083 aluminum alloy welded structural joints using explosion welded transition joints of reduced thickness. The transition joint thickness reduction significantly hinders the welding of the joints due to the risk of damage to the Al/steel interface as a result of the high temperatures during welding. In the previous article, the strength of the transition joint was analyzed but ship structures, apart from static loads, are subjected to many different cyclical loads. Welded structural joints are analyzed to determine the welding influence on the fatigue life and fracture type of the transition joints. The results of the fatigue tests show that the fatigue damage in the specimens occurs in the aluminum welded joint, and not in the explosively welded joint. The damage obtained was characteristic of cruciform welded joint specimens and both types of root and toe damage occurred. Based on the obtained results, fatigue curves for the joint were determined and compared to the fatigue curves for the AA5083 base material. The experimental fatigue curve was also compared with the design curve for welded aluminum structures from Eurocode. The conducted analysis showed the possibility of using Al/steel explosion welded transition joints of reduced thickness to transfer cyclical loads. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fatigue and Fracture of Metals and Alloys: Numerical and Experimental Study (2nd Volume))

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23 pages, 8128 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mechanical Properties and Microstructure of Dissimilar S355/AA6061-T6 FSW Butt Joints

by Wojciech Ziółkowski, Dariusz Boroński, Andrzej Skibicki, Radosław Stachowiak, Robert Kosturek and Lucjan Śnieżek

Materials 2023, 16(17), 5950; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16175950 - 30 Aug 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1119

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to analyse the mechanical properties of butt joints between S355 steel and 6061-T6 aluminium alloy, as well as their relationship to changes in the structure of the material caused by welding. The effect of the tool offset was analysed in particular. For the analysis, tensile tests were carried out using macro- and mini-specimens taken from S355/AA6061-T6 joints and base materials. In addition, the macro- and microstructure of the joints was determined, the hardness profiles in the joints were analysed, and fractographic analysis of the fractures of the specimens was carried out. Based on the results of the macro- and microstructure examinations, typical friction stir welding (FSW) joint zones were characterised. The microstructure was observed in the interface line of the materials on the root side, the negative effect of which on the quality of the joint was confirmed by digital image correlation (DIC) strain analysis during the monotonic tensile test. The highest average value of s_u = 141 MPa for the entire joint was obtained for a 0.4 mm tool offset. The highest average value of s_u = 185 MPa for the selected joint layer was obtained for a 0.3 mm tool offset. Fracturing of the joint in the selected layer for the tool offset values of 0.3 mm and 0.4 mm occurred in the weld nugget zone (WNZ) where the lowest hardness was recorded. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fatigue and Fracture of Metals and Alloys: Numerical and Experimental Study (2nd Volume))

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41 pages, 71159 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Surface Finishing State on Fatigue Strength of Cast Aluminium and Steel Alloys

by Matthias Oberreiter, Michael Horvath, Michael Stoschka and Stefan Fladischer

Materials 2023, 16(13), 4755; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16134755 - 30 Jun 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1545

Abstract

The endurance limit of structural mechanical components is affected by the residual stress state, which depends strongly on the manufacturing process. In general, compressive residual stresses tend to result in an increased fatigue strength. Post-manufacturing processes such as shot peening or vibratory finishing may achieve such a compressive residual stress state. But within complex components, manufacturing-process-based imperfections severely limit the fatigue strength. Thus, the interactions of imperfections, residual stress state and material strength are key aspects in fatigue design. In this work, cast steel and aluminium alloys are investigated, each of them in vibratory finished and polished surface condition. A layer-based fatigue assessment concept is extended towards stable effective mean stress state considering the elastic–plastic material behaviour. Murakami’s concept was applied to incorporate the effect of hardness change and residual stress state. Residual stress relaxation is determined by elastic–plastic simulations invoking a combined hardening model. If the effective stress ratio within the local layer-based fatigue strength is evaluated as critical distance value, a sound calculation of fatigue strength can be achieved. Summing up, the layer-based fatigue strength design is extended and features an enhanced understanding of the effective stabilized mean stress state during cyclic loading. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fatigue and Fracture of Metals and Alloys: Numerical and Experimental Study (2nd Volume))

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22 pages, 9006 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Modelling of Fatigue Microfracture in Porous Sintered Steel Using a Phase-Field Method

by Zoran Tomić, Tomislav Jarak, Tomislav Lesičar, Nenad Gubeljak and Zdenko Tonković

Materials 2023, 16(11), 4174; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16114174 - 3 Jun 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1678

Abstract

Porosity in sintered materials negatively affects its fatigue properties. In investigating its influence, the application of numerical simulations reduces experimental testing, but they are computationally very expensive. In this work, the application of a relatively simple numerical phase-field (PF) model for fatigue fracture is proposed for estimation of the fatigue life of sintered steels by analysis of microcrack evolution. A model for brittle fracture and a new cycle skipping algorithm are used to reduce computational costs. A multiphase sintered steel, consisting of bainite and ferrite, is examined. Detailed finite element models of the microstructure are generated from high-resolution metallography images. Microstructural elastic material parameters are obtained using instrumented indentation, while fracture model parameters are estimated from experimental S–N curves. Numerical results obtained for monotonous and fatigue fracture are compared with data from experimental measurements. The proposed methodology is able to capture some important fracture phenomena in the considered material, such as the initiation of the first damage in the microstructure, the forming of larger cracks at the macroscopic level, and the total life in a high cycle fatigue regime. However, due to the adopted simplifications, the model is not suitable for predicting accurate and realistic crack patterns of microcracks. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fatigue and Fracture of Metals and Alloys: Numerical and Experimental Study (2nd Volume))

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15 pages, 5083 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Failure Mechanism Research on Bending Fretting Fatigue of 6061-T6 Aluminum Alloy by Experiment and Finite Element Method

by Jun Ding, Long Yang and Wei Liu

Materials 2023, 16(11), 4161; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16114161 - 2 Jun 2023

Viewed by 1436

Abstract

The fatigue failure mechanism of bending fretting for cyclic softening material 6061-T6 aluminum alloy was researched by experiment and finite element method. The influence of cyclic load on bending fretting fatigue was researched and the damage characteristics under different cycles was discussed experimentally though SEM images. In the simulation, a normal load transformation method was employed to obtain a simplified two-dimensional model used for simulating the bending fretting fatigue from a three-dimensional model. An advanced constitutive equation with the Abdel–Ohno rule and isotropic hardening evolution was transplanted into ABAQUS by UMAT subroutine to consider the ratchetting behavior and cyclic softening characteristics. The peak stain distributions under various cyclic loads were discussed. Additionally, the bending fretting fatigue lives and crack initiation locations referring to a critical volume method were estimated using the Smith–Watson–Topper critical plane approach and reasonable results were obtained. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fatigue and Fracture of Metals and Alloys: Numerical and Experimental Study (2nd Volume))

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16 pages, 6087 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Welding of AA6061-T6 Sheets Using High-Strength 4xxx Fillers: Effect of Mg on Mechanical and Fatigue Properties

by Mohamed Ahmed, Mousa Javidani, Alexandre Maltais and X.-Grant Chen

Materials 2023, 16(10), 3832; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16103832 - 19 May 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1353

Abstract

Al-Si-Mg 4xxx filler metals are widely used in aluminum welding owing to their excellent weldability and capability for strength enhancement by heat treatment. However, weld joints with commercial Al-Si ER4043 fillers often exhibit poor strength and fatigue properties. In this study, two novel fillers were designed and prepared by increasing the Mg content in 4xxx filler metals, and the effects of Mg on the mechanical and fatigue properties were studied under as-welded and post-weld heat-treated (PWHT) conditions. AA6061-T6 sheets were used as the base metal and welded by gas metal arc welding. The welding defects were analyzed using X-ray radiography and optical microscopy, and the precipitates in the fusion zones were studied using transmission electron microscopy. The mechanical properties were evaluated using the microhardness, tensile, and fatigue tests. Compared to the reference ER4043 filler, the fillers with increased Mg content produced weld joints with higher microhardness and tensile strength. Joints made with fillers with high Mg contents (0.6–1.4 wt.%) displayed higher fatigue strengths and longer fatigue lives than joints made with the reference filler in both the as-welded and PWHT states. Of the joints studied, joints with the 1.4 wt.% Mg filler exhibited the highest fatigue strength and best fatigue life. The improved mechanical strength and fatigue properties of the aluminum joints were attributed to the enhanced solid-solution strengthening by solute Mg in the as-welded condition and the increased precipitation strengthening by β″ precipitates in the PWHT condition. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fatigue and Fracture of Metals and Alloys: Numerical and Experimental Study (2nd Volume))

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16 pages, 38384 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Improved Thermo-Mechanical Fatigue Resistance of Al-Si-Cu 319 Alloys by Microalloying with Mo

by Kun Liu, Shuai Wang, Peng Hu, Lei Pan and X.-Grant Chen

Materials 2023, 16(9), 3515; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16093515 - 3 May 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1674

Abstract

Thermo-mechanical fatigue (TMF) is one of the most detrimental failures of critical engine components and greatly limits their service life. In this study, the out-of-phase TMF (OP-TMF) behavior in Al-Si-Cu 319 cast alloys microalloyed with Mo was systematically investigated under various strain amplitudes ranging from 0.1–0.6% and temperature cycling at 60–300 °C and compared with the base 319 alloy free of Mo. Cyclic stress softening occurred in both experimental alloys when applying the TMF loading, resulting from the coarsening of θ’-Al₂Cu precipitates. However, the softening rate of the Mo-containing alloy was lower than that of the base 319 alloy because of its lower θ’-Al₂Cu precipitate coarsening rate per cycle. The Mo-containing alloy exhibited a longer TMF lifetime than the base alloy at the same strain amplitude. Microalloying 319 alloy with Mo enhanced the TMF resistance mainly by slowing the coarsening of θ’-Al₂Cu precipitates and providing supplementary strengthening from thermally stable Mo-containing α-dispersoids distributed in the Al matrix. The energy-based model was successfully applied for predicting the TMF lifetime with a low life predictor factor, which agreed well with the experimentally measured fatigue cycles. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fatigue and Fracture of Metals and Alloys: Numerical and Experimental Study (2nd Volume))

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16 pages, 5956 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fatigue Life Prediction of Notched Details Using SWT Model and LEFM-Based Approach

by Rui Hao, Zongyi Wen, Haohui Xin and Weiwei Lin

Materials 2023, 16(5), 1942; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16051942 - 26 Feb 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2649

Abstract

The fatigue crack initiation life of unwelded steel components accounts for the majority of the total fatigue life, and the accurate prediction of it is of vital importance. In this study, a numerical model utilizing the extended finite element method (XFEM) and Smith–Watson–Topper (SWT) model is established to predict the fatigue crack initiation life of notched details extensively used in orthotropic steel deck bridges. Using the user subroutine UDMGINI in Abaqus, a new algorithm was proposed to calculate the damage parameter of SWT under high-cycle fatigue loads. The virtual crack-closure technique (VCCT) was introduced to monitor crack propagation. Nineteen tests were performed, and the results were used to validate the proposed algorithm and XFEM model. The simulation results show that the proposed XFEM model with UDMGINI and VCCT can reasonably predict the fatigue lives of the notched specimens within the regime of high-cycle fatigue with a load ratio of 0.1. The error for the prediction of fatigue initiation life ranges from −27.5% to 41.1%, and the prediction of total fatigue life has a good agreement with the experimental results with a scatter factor of around 2. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fatigue and Fracture of Metals and Alloys: Numerical and Experimental Study (2nd Volume))

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