Effect of prior treatment on the low cycle fatigue behaviour of aluminium alloy RR58 at 423K

Abstract

The effect of the quenching medium and of varying the microstructure on low cycle fatigue behaviour of aluminium alloy RR58 has been investigated at 423K. It is observed that fatigue resistance is significantly impaired if, following solutionizing, the alloy is quenched in water instead of in oil. Thermal as well as thermomechanical treatments were employed to produce different microstructures. The overaged microstructure displayed the highest fatigue life. It is shown with the help of fractographic observations that differences in fatigue resistance due to differences in severity in quenching or in microstructure arise mainly due to the influence of these variables on crack initiation and early crack propagation. It has also been demonstrated that as the rate of hardening or softening is increased, cyclic strength coefficient K' and fatigue hardening exponent n' increase; the fatigue ductility coefficient ε'_f decreases as a result of varying microstructures, and the fatigue resistance at 423K of the alloy is lowered. When compared with the behaviour at ambient temperature, the test temperature of 423K has been found to have no significant effect on the fatigue life/strain plot.