Abstract
This paper presents some results which show intermittent and transient crack growth behavior of a high strength aluminum alloy embrittled by liquid mercury. Run-arrest-run type of cracking behavior resulted in ''n'' and ''m''-shaped curves on the crack velocity (da/dt) vs. stress intensity (K) diagram. While variations in oxygen activity in the crack tip environment may play a role in producing non-unique /nu/-K behavior, the results reported here suggest that formation and rupture of ligaments during crack extension may also be at work in a way that causes the stress intensity associated with the field local to the crack tip (K/sub tip/) to vary stochastically as the crack extends.
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