On Fatigue Crack Initiation in the Matrix in Very High Cycle Fatigue Regime

Abstract

In very high cycle fatigue, VHCF, regime, fatigue crack initiation can occur at subsurface defects such as inclusion or subsurface non-defect (matrix) origin. This paper provides a study on the fatigue crack initiation mechanisms at subsurface non-defect (matrix) origin in two metallic materials using electron backscatter diffraction and electron channeling contrast imaging. The results show that the strains in the material in the VHCF regime were highly localized, where the local maximum strain is greatly higher than the average strain value. This high strain localization can lead to the formation of fine grain zone and also fatigue damage or fatigue crack initiation at grain boundaries or twin boundaries by impingement cracking. High strain localization is caused by strain accumulation of each very small loading, and also increases the local hardness of the material. This may start quasi-cleavage crack origin, and consequently the formation of subsurface fatigue crack initiations. The results also show that fatigue damage and crack initiation mechanisms in the VHCF regime can be different in different metals due to the mechanisms for local plasticity exhaustion.