Fatigue Crack Arrest at Low Stress Intensities in a Corrosive Environment

Abstract

Abstract Crack opening displacement measurements and scanning electron microscope observations were used to investigate the cause of fatigue crack arrest that occurred in compact specimens of several aluminum alloys at low stress intensities in simulated sump water. The observations for 7475-T7351 specimens indicate that the crack arrest resulted from a progressive buildup of corrosion product on the crack surface.