Abstract
The gel electrode method of imaging small fatigue cracks, originally developed for aluminum alloys, has been modified for steel. Prior to fatigue testing, the surface is anodized to form a thin (30 nm) protective dual-layer oxide/organic film. When the gel electrode is applied, this film inhibits current flow except where it is ruptured by fatigue cracks in the steel. The current to the crack forms an image in the gel which is clearly visible to the eye, and has a spatial resolution of 50 μm. A crack in 1008 steel can be imaged more than twelve times, but steels of higher carbon content yield fewer images. The ultimate inability to obtain an additional image is due to defects in the protective anodic film. These defects are associated with the carbides in the steel.
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