The effect of crack tip strain rate (CTSR) on environmentally assisted cracking was studied for alloys AA-7075 (Al-Zn-Mg-Cu) and AA-8090 (Al-Li-Cu-Mg) in the artificially aged condition. Fatigue pre-cracked double cantilever beam (DCB) specimen were employed with the crack plane parallel to the rolling plane. The cracking behaviour under monotonic and cyclic loading conditions was investigated in aqueous sodium chloride solutions with and without additions of sodium chromate as a corrosion mhibitor. CTSR values were described in terms of K-rate ∆K/∆t (ie. dK/dt) as a measured average over the loading period of a fatigue cycle. This allowed a comparison with CTSR's of monotonically increasing load or constant load tests. At frequencies ≤1 Hz, the load was applied with a triangular wave form. A high frequency of 30 Hz was obtained by sinusoidal loading. Expressed as K-rate, CTSR values were varied over 7 orders of magnitude from 10⁵MPa√m/s to 10² MPa√m/s. Stress intensities investigated were mainly around region II values with respect to SCC K-log(da/dt) behaviour. At low K-rates, real time crack velocities (da/dt) measured under monotonic slow loading or constant load conditions were comparable to crack velocities obtained with cyclic loading experiments. As the K-rate was increased from low values, typical of constant load experiments, the real time crack velocities decreased. This was caused by plasticity induced crack growth retardation effects and a decrease in crack tip film rupture events during the unloading part of a cycle. The crack propagation rate decreased until minimal crack advance increments per cycle were dictated by mechanical parameters acting on a hydrogen embrittled crack tip region. Under monotonic loading conditions region II crack velocities were not influenced by an increase in K-rate which was explained with a mass transport controlled cracking process. Tests with alloy 7075 at intermediate K-rates and a high R-ratio of 0.78 allowed a crack tunnelling mechanism to operate. This overcame the plasticity induced crack growth retardation and, therefore, cracks propagated at the same rates as during low K-rate tests where no retardation phenomena were encountered. Scanning electron microscope investigations revealed a striated intergranular fracture surface of alloy 7075 if tested at K-rates above the transition value to K-rate independent crack propagation rates. Individual striations could be matched on opposing fracture surfaces and the striation spacing corresponded to the average crack propagation increment per cycle. The striations, therefore, were formed as part of the crack advance during every fatigue cycle. At the lower K-rates no striations were present but micro tear ridges could be found on the intergranular fracture facets indicating that dissolution processes alone did not cause the intergranular crack advance. Alloy 8090 did not reveal significant changes in fractography over the entire K-rate range investigated, except at the highest K-rates where small interlocking steps could be detected on some opposing transgranular fracture surfaces. In general, however, the crack path at all K-rates was mainly intergranular with dimpled fracture facets. Alloy 8090 exhibited a high resistance to SCC with fatigue pre-cracked DCB specimen. Therefore, to obtain crack velocity values with low K-rate monotonic loading tests very long test durations would have been necessary. It is concluded that the transition from intergranular SCC to intergranular CF occurs at a critical K-rate. Below the critical K-rate crack velocities are not increased by cyclic loading. Instead crack growth retardation effects can result in lower real time crack velocities than those typical for constant load tests at comparable stress intensities but much lower K-rates. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Materials Engineering, Department of / Graduate

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The spallation of aluminum, chromium, and iron oxide scales is a chronic problem that critically impacts technological applications like aerospace, power plant operation, catalysis, petrochemical industry, and the fabrication of composite materials. The presence of interfacial impurities, mainly sulfur, has been reported to accelerate spallation, thereby promoting the high-temperature corrosion of metals and alloys. The precise mechanism for sulfur-induced destruction of oxides, however, is ambiguous. The objective of the present research is to elucidate the microscopic mechanism for the high-temperature corrosion of aluminum alloys in the presence of sulfur. Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), low energy electron diffraction (LEED), and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) studies were conducted under ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) conditions on oxidized sulfur-free and sulfur-modified Al/Fe and Ni3Al(111). Evaporative deposition of aluminum onto a sulfur-covered iron surface results in the insertion of aluminum between the sulfur adlayer and the substrate, producing an Fe-Al-S interface. Aluminum oxidation at 300 K is retarded in the presence of sulfur. Oxide destabilization, and the formation of metallic aluminum are observed at temperatures > 600 K when sulfur is located at the Al2O3-Fe interface, while the sulfur-free interface is stable up to 900 K. In contrast, the thermal stability (up to at least 1100 K) of the Al2O3 formed on an Ni3Al(111) surface is unaffected by sulfur. Sulfur remains at the oxide-Ni3Al(111) interface after oxidation at 300 K. During annealing, aluminum segregation to the g ¢ -Al2O3-Ni3Al(111) interface occurs, coincident with the removal of sulfur from the interfacial region. A comparison of the results observed for the Al2O3/Fe and Al2O3/Ni3Al systems indicates that the high-temperature stability of Al2O3 films on aluminum alloys is connected with the concentration of aluminum in the alloy.