Fatigue-crack propagation in viscous environments

Conference · Tue Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1983

OSTI ID:6168760

Tzou, J L; Suresh, S; Ritchie, R O

The effect of dehumidified silicone and paraffin oils with viscosities from 5 to 60,000 cS, on fatigue crack propagation in a low alloy steel is examined at both near-threshold (less than or equal to 10/sup -6/ mm/cycle) and higher (approx. 10/sup -6/ to 10/sup -3/ mm/cycle) growth rates. Results show that at low load ratios crack growth rates in oil exceed those in moist air at near-threshold levels, whereas at higher growth rates crack propagation in moist air is considerably faster than in oil. Such observations are discussed in terms of three mechanisms specific to dry oil environments: suppression of moisture-induced hydrogen embrittlement and/or metal dissolution, minimization of oxide-induced crack closure and hydrodynamic wedging effects of the viscous fluid within the crack.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• OSTI ID: 6168760
• Report Number(s): LBL-15780; CONF-830832-2; ON: DE83011741
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360103* -- Metals & Alloys-- Mechanical Properties
AIR
ALKANES
ALLOYS
CRACK PROPAGATION
FATIGUE
FLUIDS
GASES
HYDROCARBONS
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
MOISTURE
OILS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PARAFFIN
POLYMERS
SILICONES
SILOXANES
STEELS
VISCOSITY
WAXES