Damage Tolerance Capability of Retrogression and Re-aged 7010 Aluminum Alloy Under FALSTAFF Loading

Abstract

The present work deals with the damage tolerance characteristics of high strength aluminum alloy tempered in T6 and reversion condition. The fatigue experiments were carried out by applying a service simulating load spectrum, i.e., standard mini FALSTAFF loading. The crack propagation speed was found to be lower and the total crack propagation life was longer by 22% for reversion-treated alloy. The crack growth was also predicted to be using two parameter crack driving force approach. The fatigue data of these treated alloys under constant amplitude loading at various stress ratios were analyzed to obtain crack growth law. The predicted crack growth behavior was conservative and followed similar trend in both the alloys as observed in experiments. Predicted results of reversion-treated alloy also showed longer crack growth life. The modified microstructure after reversion treatment was attributed for the observed improvement in damage tolerance capability. © 2020, The Indian Institute of Metals - IIM.