Abstract
In order to investigate the effect of load variation on the cyclic fatigue crack growth behavior of gas-pressure-sintered silicon nitride, fatigue crack growth tests under constant amplitude loading, multiple peak overloading, Lo-Hi and Hi-Lo two-step loadings were carried out using compact type (CT) specimens. Crack length and macroscopic crack closure were measured using the unloading elastic compliance method. Grain interlocking was observed around crack wake in all fatigue test specimens by SEM. Fatigue crack growth rate, da/dn, under constant amplitude loading was controlled by not only maximum stress intensity factor, Kmax, but also load amplitude. Crack opening stress intensity factor, Kop, decreased as load amplitude increased, as was concerned with breaking of grain interlocking. Overload caused the acceleration of fatigue crack growth rate, which was in contrast to the retardation observed in metallic materials. The acceleration was due to the breaking of grain interlocking by overload. The crack growth rate recovered as crack grew in a relatively short distance after overload, because grain interlocking in crack wake was reconstructed during crack growth.
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