Low Cycle Fatigue Behavior Research Articles

Strain‐Controlled Low‐Cycle Fatigue Behavior of a Superalloy Considering Extensive Temperature Range and Stress Concentration

ABSTRACTThis study aims to investigate the low cycle fatigue (LCF) behavior and fatigue life prediction method of an advanced solid solution–strengthened nickel‐based superalloy at various temperatures and stress concentrations. Cylindrical specimens as well as plates with three types of holes (including straight holes and inclined holes with different orientations) were designed and machined for fatigue tests. The test results revealed fatigue life decreases with the temperature increasing. Meanwhile, the fatigue lives of the plate specimens have decreased differently and are strongly dependent on the geometry and orientation of the holes. The key damage parameter related to the fatigue life was found on the strain gradient path. A criterion based on strain gradient is defined as the boundary of the damage process zone. The results show that the prediction was in good agreement with the experimental data, for the majority of the data are within a scatter band of ±2.

Effect of strain amplitude on the low cycle fatigue behavior and deformation mechanisms in alloy SU-263 at elevated temperature

The past studies in the low cycle fatigue (LCF) behavior of a γ′ strengthened nickel-based superalloy SU-263 were restricted to a maximum temperature of 923 K, though their service conditions far exceed this limit. In the present work, the LCF behavior of SU-263 is investigated at 1023 K with strain amplitude varying from ± 0.3% to ± 0.8% at 1023 K. During fatigue, the alloy displayed initial cyclic hardening followed by softening. The fatigue life decreased drastically with increasing strain amplitude. The alloy depicted gradual initial hardening at low strain amplitudes and sharp initial hardening at higher strain amplitudes, along with extensive softening until fracture. Significant increases in slip band density, stacking faults, dislocation network formation, and dislocation-dislocation and dislocation-precipitate interactions were identified as the deformation mechanisms responsible for cyclic hardening. In contrast, dislocation annihilation and shearing of γ′ precipitates were found to control cyclic softening. Dislocation-precipitate interactions were associated with looping at low strain amplitudes, while precipitate shearing occurred at high strain amplitudes. The alloy exhibited a tendency bilinear strain-life behavior in the Coffin-Manson plot with the corresponding shift in the fracture mode at ± 0.5% strain amplitude. At strain amplitudes below ± 0.5%, the alloy showed a mixed mode of failure, predominantly transgranular in nature, while at high strain amplitudes, the failure becomes predominantly intergranular.

Low cycle fatigue behavior and deformation mechanism of Ti–6Al–4V-0.55Fe alloy under the control of strain and stress amplitudes

Low cycle fatigue behavior and deformation mechanism of Ti–6Al–4V-0.55Fe alloy under the control of strain and stress amplitudes

Multiaxial low cycle fatigue behavior and constitutive model of 316L under various loading paths at high-temperature

The work is devoted into investigating the multiaxial low cycle fatigue behavior and constitutive model of 316L under various strain amplitudes, strain ratios, and phase angles at 550 °C. Experimental results show that both axial and shear stress amplitudes present three stages of cyclic hardening, softening and fracture. Internal stress analysis reveals that initial cyclic hardening is influenced by both friction and back stresses, while cyclic softening is primarily controlled by friction stress. Moreover, the Mises equivalent stress–strain relationship effectively accommodates different strain amplitudes and strain ratios, but cannot account for the non-proportional hardening arising from back stress. Pearson correlation analysis highlights a correlation between fatigue life and the equivalent stress amplitude and plastic strain energy density, and that elastic modulus is influenced by strain ratio and phase angle, not the strain amplitude. Based on the Chaboche unified viscoplastic constitutive theory, an improved constitutive model incorporating new hardening rules and Hooke’s law is proposed. In the proposed model, three classical loading path-dependent coefficients’ ability for description of non-proportional hardening and stiffness weakening behaviors are evaluated. Simulation results reveal that the proposed model can effectively capture the non-proportional hardening of back stress, stiffness weakening, non-masing effect, and varied softening rate.

New insights into physical origins of dynamic strain aging in Ti-2Al-2.5Zr alloy and influence on LCF and HCF behaviors

The multi-step strain aging tests were meticulously designed in this work to reveal the physical mechanisms of static strain aging (SSA) and dynamic strain aging (DSA) behaviors in Ti-2Al-2.5Zr alloy for the first time. It was revealed that the shuffling mechanism of interstitial oxygen atoms combined with the pinning effect of locally-generated cross-slip on the movement of screw dislocations were responsible for the occurrence of strain aging. Furthermore, the effects of DSA on the low-cycle fatigue (LCF) and high-cycle fatigue (HCF) properties were elucidated in Ti-2Al-2.5Zr alloy. Results showed that the sensitivity of DSA to cyclic loading was attributed to the generation of numerous residual edge dislocation segments through local cross-slip, facilitating the formation of dislocation veins which inhibited the formation of persistent slip bands (PSBs) and led to the significantly cyclic hardening. Finally, it was emphasized that the phenomenon of DSA should be carefully considered for the structural integrity assessment of Ti-2Al-2.5Zr alloy and several suggestions were provided.

Low-cycle fatigue properties and fracture location transition mechanism of dissimilar steel welded joints in towers of wind turbines

This study investigates the low-cycle fatigue (LCF) behavior of two types of dissimilar steel welded joints (DSWJs): AISI 1035 & S550Q and AISI 1020 & S550Q. Digital image correlation (DIC) and finite element analysis (FEA) were used to analyze the heterogeneous strain distribution. The results reveal that the location of maximum strain, which is load-dependent and related to strength mismatch, corresponds to the fracture location of the LCF specimens. Specifically, the crack initiation site shifts from the weld toe to the base metal as strain increases. Moreover, the weld reinforcement of the DSWJs significantly affects the failure site transition, introducing strain concentration at lower stress levels while enhancing deformation resistance at higher stress levels, as evidenced by DIC strain measurements and FEA. These findings highlight the importance of joint reinforcement profile, strength mismatch and external load level in designing DSWJs for wind turbine towers against LCF failure.

Effect of Pt-Al coating on low-cycle fatigue behavior in a Ni-based single crystal superalloy at 760 °C

The effect of Pt-Al coating on low-cycle fatigue behavior of Ni-based single crystal superalloy at 760 °C was evaluated. The results show that Pt-Al coating does not change the cyclic stress response behavior of the Ni-based single crystal superalloy at 760 °C. Under the total strain amplitude from 0.6 % to 1.2 %, the cyclic stress amplitude value of Pt-Al coating samples is slightly lower than uncoated samples during cyclic deformation at the stable stage under the same applied total strain amplitude, and the fatigue life of Pt-Al coating samples is lower than uncoated ones, with an average fatigue life reduction of about 19.9 %. By the relation curve of comparing the cyclic strain amplitude with the reversals to failure, it is observed that the fatigue ductility coefficient ε′f of the Pt-Al coating sample is higher than the uncoated sample, the fatigue ductility index c and fatigue strength coefficient σ′f are lower than the uncoated sample, but the fatigue strength index b has little difference. It is found that the cyclic strength coefficient K′ and the cyclic strain hardening index n' of the Pt-Al coating sample are lower than the uncoated sample after fitting the curves of the relationship between cyclic stress amplitude and total strain amplitude. In addition, the cyclic stress amplitude of Pt-Al coating sample is slightly lower than uncoated sample under the same applied total strain amplitude. It was found by SEM that the cracks of both uncoated and Pt-Al coating samples initialized near the surface of the samples under low-cycle fatigue loading at 760 °C, and multiple crack sources began to spread into the substrate. It was found by TEM observation that at low strain amplitude (Δεt/2 = 0.6 %), the dislocations in both uncoated and Pt-Al coating samples mainly converged in γ, and a large number of dislocation debris gathered in the γ and dislocation entanglement was generated, while a small number of dislocations were observed to cut into γ'. The γ′ is seriously deformed and slightly rafted at Δεt/2 = 1.2 %, and a few dislocations are also observed in γ'.

Analysis of high temperature and strain amplitude effects on low cycle fatigue behavior of pitting corroded killed E350 BR structural steel

High-tension structural steels are prone to accelerated fatigue damage from pitting corrosion and high-temperature. Despite adverse effects, research on their low cycle fatigue (LCF) behavior is limited. Specifically, studies analyzing temperature-dependent pit sensitivity effects, considering pit-related material’s susceptibility to surface topographic features variation and stress concentration are lacking. This study conducts LCF tests on pitting corroded killed E350 BR structural steel at multiple strain amplitudes and high temperatures. It develops temperature-dependent parameters, such as the cyclic softening pit sensitivity factor, suitable for integration into existing approaches like total cyclic plastic strain energy density (CPSED), power-law, average strain energy density (SED), Coffin-Manson, and pit stress intensity factor (pit-SIF). Further, it proposes multiple linear regression-based prediction models relating total CPSED and average SED with strain amplitude and temperature. Corroded specimens show higher plastic deformation and reduced peak stress, fatigue life, and total CPSED compared to uncorroded ones. The developed parameters, integrated with average SED approach, predicts LCF life within an error band of ±1.5, while power-law relationship reduces it to ±1.2. Moreover, pit-SIF approach estimates fatigue life within an error band of ±1.5. The findings provide critical knowledge for enhanced component design, leading to structural safety, performance, and fire resilience.

Effect of strain ratio and pre-strain on the low-cycle fatigue behavior of 4130X steel at different strain amplitudes

This study investigates the impacts of strain ratio and pre-strain on the low-cycle fatigue properties and microscopic damage mechanisms of 4130X steel across varying strain amplitudes. Under symmetric loading, initial cycles at low strain amplitudes demonstrate clear peak/valley stress hardening followed by cyclic softening in later stages of fatigue. In contrast, the hardening behavior vanishes at higher strain amplitudes. Increasing strain ratio and pre-strain cause the initial hardening behavior at low strain amplitudes to gradually disappear. Additionally, at lower strain amplitudes, fatigue life decreases as strain ratio and pre-strain rise, attributed to substantial tensile mean stress. Microscopic examination reveals that symmetric cyclic loading at low strain amplitudes releases stress concentrations caused by quenched and tempered processing and reduces both dislocation density and localized plastic strain. Conversely, at higher strain ratios and pre-strains, increased tensile mean stresses not only intensify dislocation multiplication, resulting in high dislocation density, but also activate multi-slip system, leading to dislocation cross-slip. Moreover, at a high strain amplitude of 0.45 %, pre-strain aids in martensite recovery and promotes dislocation annihilation during recovery, thus inducing cyclic softening. Finally, the fatigue lives under varied loading conditions are compared with the fatigue design curve prescribed by ASME VIII-II code.

Low cycle fatigue and cycle hardening behavior of heterogeneous Ni2Co1Fe1V0.5Mo0.2 medium entropy alloy

Low-cycle fatigue behavior of high-entropy alloy (HEAs) and medium-entropy alloys (MEAs) have rarely been reported in literature though it is critical for industrial applications. In our previous work, a non-equiatomic Ni2Co1Fe1V0.5Mo0.2 MEA was designed by adding V and Mo elements with bigger atomic size to heighten solution strengthening effect. Due to larger atomic size mismatch and more severe lattice distortion, the Ni2Co1Fe1V0.5Mo0.2 MEA exhibits stronger strain hardening effect than that in CoCrFeMnNi HEA. In present work, the low-cycle fatigue behavior of the non-equiatomic Ni2Co1Fe1V0.5Mo0.2 MEA with heterogeneous grain structures was further investigated. The heterogeneous Ni2Co1Fe1V0.5Mo0.2 MEA exhibits high fatigue resistance at 0.25 % strain amplitude (51285 N), attributed to the pronounced dislocation planar slip and formation of stacking faults. At 0.3 % and 0.5 % strain amplitudes, dislocation interactions (including tangles and microbands) induced by extensive dislocation cross-slip result in obvious cyclic hardening but reduced lifetime. The findings assess the effect of solid solution strengthening on the fatigue behavior of MEAs. The fatigue cracks form either along slip bands in large grains or grain boundaries of small grains.

Low cycle fatigue behavior and failure mechanism of 34CrNiMo6 steel used as connecting rod for diesel engine

Abstract In this paper, for the 34CrNiMo6 steel material used in diesel engine connecting rods, the low-cycle fatigue properties and failure mechanism were studied. The metallographic structure of 34CrNiMo6 has been investigated by using optical microscopes, scanning electron microscopes, and transmission electron microscopes. Tensile tests and low-cycle fatigue experiments were performed at different levels of strain amplitudes, and the microstructural changes were monitored. The examination indicates that the structure of 34CrNiMo6 steel consisted primarily of a ferrite base and small spherical and rod-shaped carbides, with a mean particle size measuring 2 μm. It had exceptional mechanical characteristics of high strength and moderate plasticity. The total strain amplitude (TSA) of 34CrNiMo6 steel affected the cycling behavior, which was stable at low TSA (0.2% ~ 0.3%). At high TSA (0.4% ~ 0.7%), a large number of dislocations were annihilated through the dynamic recovery process, showing a typical cyclic softening phenomenon. The low-cycle fatigue failure behavior was mainly a combined mode of quasi-cleavage fracture and cross-grain fracture.

Fatigue and fracture in dual-material specimens of nickel-based alloys fabricated by hybrid additive manufacturing

The integration of additive manufacturing with traditional processes, termed hybrid additive manufacturing, has expanded its application domain, particularly in the repair of gas turbine blade tips. However, process-related defects in additively manufactured materials, interface formation, and material property mismatches in dual-material structures can significantly impact the fatigue performance of components. This investigation examines the low cycle fatigue and fatigue crack growth behaviors in dual-material specimens of nickel-based alloys, specifically the additively manufactured STAL15 and the cast alloy 247DS, at elevated temperatures. Low cycle fatigue experiments were conducted at temperatures of 950 °C and 1000 °C under a range of strain levels (0.3%–0.8%) and fatigue crack growth tests were conducted at 950 °C with stress ratios of 0.1 and −1. Fractographic and microscopic analyses were performed to comprehend fatigue crack initiation and crack growth mechanisms in the dual-material structure. The results consistently indicated crack initiation and fatigue fracture in the additively manufactured STAL15 material. Notably, fatigue crack growth retardation was observed near the interface when the crack extended from the additively manufactured STAL15 material to the perpendicularly positioned interface. This study highlights the importance of considering yield strength mismatch, as well as the potential effects of residual stresses and grain structure differences, in the interpretation of fatigue crack growth behavior at the interface.

Effect of microstructure rafting on deformation behaviour and crack mechanism during high-temperature low-cycle fatigue of a Ni-based single crystal superalloy

The low cycle fatigue behaviours of a microstructure rafting Ni-based single crystal superalloy have been experimentally investigated at 980 ℃. Deformation of γ/γ’ phases and the corresponding dislocation configurations were investigated, highlighting rafting γ/γ’ morphology that contributes to crack initiation and propagation, as well as macro-scale accumulated plastic strain. Unlike the discrete slip lines of a virgin superalloy, intense slips developed along the parallel {111} slip plane result in crossed slip bands in the rafting superalloy. The decreased resistance of widened γ channels to dislocation movement, along with the prevention of dislocation cutting through γ’ precipitates in pre-existing dense dislocation networks, facilitates crack propagation in the γ channel in the slightly rafting superalloy. As the rafting state increases, the dislocation network loses its protective effect by reducing coherency stress and acting as a superdislocation source, which facilitates crack propagation along the γ/γ’ interface. Finally, a microstructure-based fatigue model is developed considering the reduction of deformation resistance induced by rafting. The fatigue loading control mode effect is introduced by a combination of resolved shear stress and tensile stress effects on crack initiation. The LCF life of rafting Ni-based superalloys significantly decreases under stress-controlled conditions compared to strain-controlled conditions due to the increase in cumulative plastic strain. However, the insignificant impact of the initial surface oxide layer on LCF life is revealed.

Low-cycle fatigue behaviour of concrete-filled double skin steel tubular (CFDST) members for wind turbine towers

Wind energy has the advantages of being clean and renewable. Wind turbine towers endure horizontal cyclic loads that could influence the performance of entire structure. To clarify the low-cycle fatigue behaviour of concrete-filled double skin steel tubular (CFDST) members, a total of 16 specimens were experimented. The hollow, slenderness, and axial compression ratios are specifically designed to clarify the effects on performance under constant amplitude loading and hysteretic loading conditions. The typical failure modes under both loading conditions and the relationship between loop strain, loop bearing capacity, loop energy dissipation, cycle number, and various degradation indices were analysed. Studies indicate that the failure mode under low-cycle fatigue loading is mainly local deformation, which includes transverse fracture occurring at the region between the steel tube and ribbed stiffener, the crushing concrete. Fatigue specimens with different amplitudes exhibit varying shapes of hysteresis responses. Higher amplitudes could enhance damage and significantly reduce fatigue life. Increasing the hollow and axial compression ratios boosts the energy dissipation capacity, and decreasing the slenderness ratio enhances the lateral resistance. A 2 % constant amplitude preload intensifies the degradation of bearing capacity and energy dissipation under subsequent constant amplitude loading.

Low cycle fatigue behavior of AZ31 magnesium alloy joined by friction stir welding

AbstractThis study, aims to weld the 5.2 mm thick AZ31 magnesium alloy with conventional friction stir welding at the highest joining efficiency. As a result of the experiments, 88% joining efficiency in tensile strength has been obtained at 1250 rpm, 400 mm.min−1 welding parameter. As a result of micro–macrostructure photographic examinations of the samples joined with these parameters, it is seen that the joining is fully realized. Samples joined with these parameters have been used in fatigue tests. According to the strain‐controlled low cycle fatigue test results performed on welded and base metal samples, the base metal samples have exceeded the 50,000‐cycle limit without failure, with an elongation rate of 0.3%, and the welded samples with an elongation rate of 0.2%. Low cycle fatigue parameters of welded and base metal samples have been obtained according to the Coffin‐Manson‐Basquin equation.

In-plane biaxial low-cycle dwell fatigue behavior of CP-Ti based on DIC method

This study investigates the biaxial dwell fatigue behavior of commercial pure titanium (CP-Ti) under different load ratios and dwell times. The evolution of mean strain, ratcheting strain, and creep strain was systematically analyzed. The findings reveal that with the decrease of load ratio or the increase of dwell time, both ratcheting and creep strain exhibit an upward trend. The interaction between ratcheting strain and creep strain promotes crack initiation and propagation. The statistical analysis of crack paths by the digital image correlation (DIC) method indicates that crack initiation occurs between 0.7Nf and 0.8Nf, and fatigue failure is governed by the maximum principal strain. Moreover, the electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analysis results indicate that as the load ratio increases, the activity of prismatic slip systems decreases, while the activities of other slip systems and twinning modes increases. To enhance predictive accuracy, a modified SWT model by incorporating time-dependent creep damage and anisotropy is proposed for life prediction under biaxial dwell fatigue conditions.

Low cycle fatigue behavior of MAR-M247 nickel-based superalloy from 500 to 900 °C: Analysis of cyclic response, microstructure evolution and failure mechanism

Low cycle fatigue behaviors of MAR-M 247 superalloy were investigated at 500 °C, 700 °C and 900 °C. The detailed deformation mechanisms were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and the critical resolved stress to active different deformation mechanisms were calculated. The results show that crack propagates along favorable {111} plane at 500 °C, and anti-phase boundary (APB) shearing is the main deformation mechanism. At intermediate temperatures, the cracking mode is similar to 500 °C. The dislocation pinning at L-C lock leads to premature failure. It is difficult for {111} 〈110〉 slip system to shear hard oriented grain with low Schmid factor at 900 °C. Dislocation movement is achieved by Orowan by pass process and thermal activated dislocation climb at high temperature. In addition, the improved life prediction model based on energy method has been constituted and discussed at different temperatures.

Experimental investigations on the cyclic load-bearing behavior of structural glazing joints under seismic load

AbstractIn addition to static loads, structural glazing joints in glass and facade construction in many regions are subject to extraordinary effects such as earthquakes. Seismic actions are characterized by a randomly recurring and dynamic load that affects the structural behavior of the viscoelastic material. Publications on the load-bearing behavior and design of structural glazing joints against seismic loading have not systematically considered these effects. In this paper, relevant parameters influencing the seismic loading of structural glazing joints are determined, evaluated, and narrowed down to areas of practical relevance as part of a theoretical stress analysis. On this basis, extensive experimental investigations of the low-cycle fatigue behavior of structural glazing joints are presented. Cyclic stress–strain curves are determined and compared with quasi-static reference tests to describe the basic low-cycle fatigue behavior. The influence of the previously determined parameters on the cyclic load-bearing behavior can thus be determined and presented. These investigations provide an important basis for describing the behavior under typical seismic random loading. In particular, the type of load application caused by the different construction types of glass and facade buildings can be mentioned as a decisive influencing factor in addition to the frequency of building construction. The results provide a first important contribution to the modeling and design of structural glazing joints against earthquake effects. Further extensive scientific investigations will be carried out on this basis in order to develop a design model for structural glazing joints in disaster scenarios.

Low-cycle fatigue behavior and microstructure evolution of ODS steel pipes at high temperatures

Oxide-dispersion-strengthened (ODS) steels are candidate materials for application in advanced nuclear reactors. In this study, the low-cycle fatigue performances of 13Cr-ODS ferritic steel pipes were investigated at 600, 700, and 800 °C. Cyclic softening was observed at high strain amplitudes with an increase in the number of fatigue cycles. However, cyclic hardening appeared first, and then cyclic softening occurred at a low strain amplitude with the increase in the number of fatigue cycles. By comparing the cyclic stress–strain curves and the monotonic stress–strain curves, it was found that cyclic softening occurred regardless of the strain amplitude. The Coffin–Manson and Basquin equations were used to predict the fatigue of the pipes. Microstructure analysis indicated that cyclic softening was induced by the dynamic recovery and recrystallization, which reduced the number of low-angle grain boundaries in the deformed grains by promoting dislocation annihilation and reorganization. A complex multi-layer core–shell structure with a large size (∼500 nm) was observed.

Assessment of location- and orientation- dependent fatigue behaviour for as-deposited LPBF Inconel 718 using miniaturized specimens

The location- and orientation-dependence of tensile properties and low/high cycle fatigue behaviour of additively manufactured IN718 were determined on as-deposited material with the use of miniaturized specimens. Local properties were determined throughout the build height for two orientations by using 39 fatigue samples and 32 tensile test coupons excised from bulk builds. The low cycle fatigue behaviour is described with the use of the Manson-Coffin approach while the high cycle regime was analysed using a Wohler-based assessment. Extensive microstructure characterization included optical microscopy, electron microscopy with EDX and EBSD analyses, fractography and computer tomography in order to rationalize the fatigue anisotropy in certain regimes. Significant anisotropy in the low cycle (i.e. high strain) fatigue regime is attributed to the differences in microstructure, UTS, and ductility in the as-deposited material. The fatigue behaviour in the high cycle (i.e. low strain) regime was worse in Z-oriented samples, partly due to its somewhat lower UTS and detrimental orientation of lack-of-fusion defects that served as fatigue initiation sites. The complete axial fatigue behaviour, which evaluated the whole range from uniaxial tension (i.e. one cycle) through the low cycle to high cycle regime, was attempted with the use of the Stussi model. While the various modelling approaches that used either uniaxial tension or cyclic tension data captured some of the observations, the detrimental effects of process-induced defects and their orientation with respect to the loading direction prevented a complete description of the fatigue behaviour in the high cycle fatigue regime. Nevertheless, the use of miniaturized samples provides a unique capability to examine both the location- and orientation-dependent fatigue behaviour relevant to many engineering structures.