Metal fatigue is a recurring problem for metallurgists and materials engineers, especially in structural applications. It has been responsible for many disastrous accidents and tragedies in history. Understanding the micro-mechanisms during cyclic deformation and combating fatigue failure has remained a grand challenge. Environmental effects, like temperature or a corrosive medium, further worsen and complicate the problem. Ultimate design against fatigue must come from a materials perspective with a fundamental understanding of the interaction of microstructural features with dislocations, under the influence of stress, temperature, and other factors. This research endeavors to contribute to the current understanding of the fatigue failure mechanisms. Cast aluminum alloys are susceptible to fatigue failure due to the presence of defects in the microstructure like casting porosities, non-metallic inclusions, non-uniform distribution of secondary phases, etc. Friction stir processing (FSP), an emerging solid state processing technique, is an effective tool to refine and homogenize the cast microstructure of an alloy. In this work, the effect of FSP on the microstructure of an A356 cast aluminum alloy, and the resulting effect on its tensile and fatigue behavior have been studied. The main focus is on crack initiation and propagation mechanisms, and how stage I and stage II cracks interact with the different microstructural features. Three unique microstructural conditions have been tested for fatigue performance at room temperature, 150 °C and 200 °C. Detailed fractography has been performed using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron back scattered diffraction (EBSD). These tools have also been utilized to characterize microstructural aspects like grain size, eutectic silicon particle size and distribution. Cyclic deformation at low temperatures is very sensitive to the microstructural distribution in this alloy. The findings from the room temperature fatigue tests highlight the important role played by persistent slip bands (PSBs) in fatigue crack initiation. At room temperature, cracks initiate along PSBs in the absence of other defects/stress risers, and grow transgranularly. Their propagation is retarded when they encounter grain boundaries. Another major finding is the complete transition of the mode of fatigue cracking from transgranular to intergranular, at 200 °C. This occurs when PSBs form in adjacent grains and impinge on grain boundaries, raising the stress concentration at these locations. This initiates cracks along the grain boundaries. At these temperatures, cyclic deformation is no longer microstructure- dependent. Grain boundaries don’t impede the progress of cracks, instead aid in their propagation. This work has extended the current understanding of fatigue cracking mechanisms in A356 Al alloys to elevated temperatures.

CAPES / O estudo de um componente estrutural, é mais realístico quando se admite que o componente já possua trincas. A área que estuda este fenômeno é a mecânica da fratura. O componente que possui trinca e é submetido a esforços cíclicos, tende a falhar por fadiga. Este estudo apresenta cotas que “envelopam” a solução numérica aproximada da evolução da trinca. São estimados momentos estatísticos das cotas superior e inferior, afim de se obter resultados mais realísticos com relação a propagação da trinca, visto a existência de incerteza sobre os parâmetros dos modelos de evolução da trinca. As cotas são determinadas via metodologia Fast Crack Bounds, sendo está comparada com a solução numérica aproximada obtida pelo método de Runge-Kutta de quarta ordem. A randomização dos parâmetros do modelo, é executada através de Simulação de Monte Carlo. Para a quantificação da incerteza, da cota superior, inferior e da solução numérica, são considerados exemplos “clássicos” da mecânica da fratura, onde a função de correção do fator de intensidade de tensão é conhecida: placa com largura infinita, placa com largura finita e trinca central e placa com largura finita e trinca na aresta. O trabalho apresenta os desvios relativos do primeiro e segundo momento estatístico, bem como os ganhos computacionais na resolução do problema de valor inicial que descrevem a propagação da trinca. Em todos os casos analisados, a metodologia Fast Crack Bounds apresentou menor tempo computacional, quando comparada à solução numérica do problema, sendo no mínimo 411,23% mais eficaz para o parâmetro a0 , até 8.296,29% para o parâmetro KC . / The study of a structural component is more realistic when it is admitted that the component already has cracks. The area that studies this phenomenon is the fracture mechanics. The component which is cracked and subjected to cyclic stresses tends to fail due to fatigue. This study presents upper and lower bounds that "envelop" the approximate numerical solution of the evolution of the crack. The statistical moments of the upper and lower bounds are estimated, to obtain more realistic results in relation to the crack propagation, considering the existence of uncertainty about the parameters of the evolution models of the crack. Upper and lower bounds are determined using the Fast Crack Bounds methodology, being compared to the approximate numerical solution obtained by the fourth-order RungeKutta method. The randomization of the model parameters and execution through the Monte Carlo Simulation. For the quantification of the uncertainty, the upper and lower bounds and the numerical solution, "classic" examples of fracture mechanics are considered, where the correction function of the tensile strength factor is known: Infinite width plate, finite width plate a centered crack and finite width plate a bordercracked. The work presents the relative deviations of the first and second statistical moments, as well as the computational gains in solving the initial value problem that describe the propagation of the crack. In all cases analyzed, the Fast Crack Bounds methodology presented lower computational time when compared to the numerical solution of the problem, being at least 411.23% more effective for the parameter a0 , up to 8,296.29% for the parameter KC .

The desire for energy and resource savings brings magnesium alloys as lightweight materials with high specific strength more and more into the focus. Most structural components are subjected to cyclic loading. In the course of computer aided product development, a numerical prediction of the fatigue life under these conditions must be provided. For this reason, the mechanical properties of the considered material must be examined in detail. Wrought magnesium semifinished products, e.g. magnesium sheet metals, typically reveal strong basal textures and thus, the mechanical behavior considerably differs from that of the well-established magnesium die castings. Magnesium sheet metals reveal a distinct difference in the tensile and compressive yield stress, leading to non-symmetric sigmoidal hysteresis loops within the elasto-plastic load range. These unusual hysteresis shapes are caused by cyclic twinning and detwinning. Furthermore, wrought magnesium alloys reveal pseudoelastic behavior, leading to nonlinear unloading curves. Another interesting effect is the formation of local twin bands during compressive loading. Nevertheless, only little information can be found on the numerical fatigue analysis of wrought magnesium alloys up to now. The aim of this thesis is the investigation of the mechanical properties of wrought magnesium alloys and the development of an appropriate fatigue model. For this purpose, twin roll cast AM50 as well as AZ31B sheet metals and extruded ME21 sheet metals were used. Mechanical tests were carried out to present a comprehensive overview of the quasi-static and cyclic material behavior. The microstructure was captured on sheet metals before and after loading to evaluate the correlation between the microstructure, the texture, and the mechanical properties. Stress- and strain-controlled loading ratios and strain-controlled experiments with variable amplitudes were performed. Tests were carried out along and transverse to the manufacturing direction to consider the influence of the anisotropy. Special focus was given to sigmoidal hysteresis loops and their influence on the fatigue life. A detailed numerical description of hysteresis loops is necessary for numerical fatigue analyses. For this, a one-dimensional phenomenological model was developed for elasto-plastic strain-controlled constant and variable amplitude loading. This model consists of a three-component equation, which considers elastic, plastic, and pseudoelastic strain components. Considering different magnesium alloys, good correlation is reached between numerically and experimentally determined hysteresis loops by means of different constant and variable amplitude load-time functions. For a numerical fatigue life analysis, an energy based fatigue parameter has been developed. It is denoted by “combined strain energy density per cycle” and consists of a summation of the plastic strain energy density per cycle and the 25 % weighted tensile elastic strain energy density per cycle. The weighting represents the material specific mean stress sensitivity. Applying the energy based fatigue parameter on modeled hysteresis loops, the fatigue life is predicted adequately for constant and variable amplitude loading including mean strain and mean stress effects. The combined strain energy density per cycle achieves significantly better results in comparison to conventional fatigue models such as the Smith-Watson-Topper model. The developed phenomenological model in combination with the combined strain energy density per cycle is able to carry out numerical fatigue life analyses on magnesium sheet metals.