Lightweight structural components are important to the automotive and aerospace industries so that better fuel economy can be realized. Magnesium alloys in particular are being examined to fulfill this need due to their attractive stiffness- and strength-to-weight ratios when compared to other materials. However, when introducing a material into new roles, one needs to properly characterize its mechanical properties. Fatigue behavior is especially important considering aerospace and automotive component applications. Therefore, quantifying the structure-property relationships and accurately predicting the fatigue behavior for these materials are vital. This study has two purposes. The first is to quantify the structure-property relationships for the fatigue behavior in an AM30 magnesium alloy. The second is to use the microstructural-based MultiStage Fatigue (MSF) model in order to accurately predict the fatigue behavior of three magnesium alloys: AM30, Elektron 21, and AZ61. While some studies have previously quantified the MSF material constants for several magnesium alloys, detailed research into the fatigue regimes, notably the microstructurally small crack (MSC) region, is lacking. Hence, the contribution of this work is the first of its kind to experimentally quantify the fatigue crack incubation and MSC regimes that are used for the MultiStage Fatigue model. Using a multiaceted experimental approach, these regimes were explored with a replica method that used a dual-stage silicone based compound along with previously published in situ fatigue tests. These observations were used in calibrating the MultiStage Fatigue model.

This study experimentally quantified the structure-property relations with respect to fatigue of an extruded AZ61 magnesium alloy and captured the behavior with a microstructure-sensitive MultiStage Fatigue Model. Experiments were conducted in the extruded and transverse directions under low and high cycle strain control fatigue conditions. The cyclic behavior of this alloy displayed varying degrees of cyclic hardening depending on the strain amplitude and the specimen orientation. The fracture surfaces of the fatigued specimens were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope in order to quantify structure-property relations with respect to microstructural features. Correlations between particle size, nearest neighbor distance, and grain size as a function of failure cycles were quantified. Finally, a multistage fatigue model based on the structure-property relations quantified in this study was employed to capture the anisotropic fatigue damage of the AZ61 magnesium alloy.