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This study investigated the influence of mean stress and loading frequency on the corrosion fatigue properties of 7050-T6 and 7050-T73 in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution. Crack opening levels were measured under different loading conditions in order to understand the effects of mean stress and loading frequency on the oxide-induced crack closure levels. Furthermore, the roles of SCC and mechanical fatigue mechanisms in influencing the corrosion fatigue properties of such alloys were investigated by subtracting the crack closure effect. Fractograph and microstructure analyses with scanning electron microscoy
(SEM) and optical microscoy (OM) were conducted to determine the corrosion fatigue crack initiation and propagation mode.
Results showed that an increase in mean stress level of cyclic loading resulted in faster crack growth rate and shorter fatigue life for 7050 aluminum alloys tested in salt water. The corrosion fatigue life was reduced as a result of decreasing loading frequency. However, as the loading frequency decreased, the fatigue crack growth rate increased at intermediate and high stress intensity factor ranges
(△Ks) and decreased at low
△K. The reverse frequency dependence of the fatigue crack growth rate is attributed to the pronounced crack closure effect difference between low and high loading frequencies when
△K is reduced. By subtracting the crack closure effect, the results showed that both increasing the mean stress level and decreasing the loading frequency enhanced the degree of influence of SCC mechanism on the corrosion fatigue damage, leading to a greater crack growth rate. In contrast to the shorter fatigue lives of 7050-T73 over 7050-T6 smooth specimens under low mean stress and high loading frequency conditions, 7050-T73 smooth specimens were superior to 7050-T6 ones in terms of fatigue life and crack growth rate under high mean stress and low loading frequency. This reverse trend in resistance to corrosion fatigue for smooth specimen between 7050-T6 and 7050-T73 can be attributed to the greater SCC resistance possessed by 7050-T73 under high mean stress and low loading frequency.
Fractography analyses indicate that corrosion fatigue cracks of 7050-T6 and 7050-T73 initiated mostly from the corrosion pits and propagated transgranularly under various loading conditions applied in this study. |