Effect of constraint factor on the thermo-mechanical fatigue behavior of an Al-Si eutectic alloy

Abstract

The thermo-mechanical fatigue (TMF) behaviors and corresponding damage mechanisms of Al-Si piston alloy were investigated in the temperature range of 120~425 °C under different constraint factors (η). The TMF hysteresis loops exhibit asymmetrical, because the yield strength and elastic modulus decrease significantly with the increasing temperature. Taking the phase angles into consideration, the mean tensile stress for out of phase TMF (OP-TMF, η<0) and mean compressive stress for in-phase TMF (IP-TMF, η>0) can be found. The fatigue life of IP-TMF is longer than that of OP-TMF except for higher constraint factor, and the life of TMF decreases with the increasing absolute value of η. There are two different crack initiation mechanisms under the constrain TMF: primary phases broken mainly for OP-TMF and matrix deboned mainly for IP-TMF. The oxidation may have only little influence on the crack behavior and TMF life, considering the obvious damage by deboned or broken primary phases. The tensile stress is key factor for fatigue crack initiation and growth in primary phases (Si and intermetallic) under cyclic deformation. The TMF life under different constrain factors can be predicted by the strain energy model with good precision.