Abstract
A new method is described for calculating the long fatigue life (>105 cycles) portion of the stress-life (S-N) fatigue curve for precipitation-hardened aluminum alloys. It is based upon a finite element model of the deformation of a persistent slipband (PSB), and the only material parameter required is the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of the alloy. The stress dependence of the plastic strain at the tip of a PSB is shown to be very pronounced and to closely match that of anS-N fatigue curve. Very good agreement is obtained for 6061-T6, 2014-T6, 2024-T4, and 7075-T6 aluminum, and the fatigue strength (at 108 cycles) is calculated to be 26 pct of the tensile strength of each alloy, in agreement with experimental data. By contrast, the plastic strain at a crack tip has a much weaker stress dependence. Thus, these calculations also confirm that the elongation of a PSB, and not crack growth, is the rate-controlling process in high cycle fatigue.
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Baxter, W.J., Wang, PC. Finite element prediction of high cycle fatigue life of aluminum alloys. Metall Trans A 21, 1151–1159 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02698246
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02698246