Environmentally Assisted Fatigue Crack Growth Rates in SAE 4340 Steel

Abstract

Corrosion fatigue crack growth rates for SAE 4340 steel in distilled water environments were investigated utilizing fracture mechanics techniques. Crack growth rates, resulting from various forms of repeated loading, were compared to those induced by static load using small sample statistical theory. These comparisons indicate that corrosion fatigue crack growth may be either time or cycle dependent depending on the load profile, loading frequency, and temperature. Data are presented suggesting that whenever the maximum cyclic stress intensity in the fatigue cycle is below the static threshold stress intensity (KIscc ), the environment no longer plays a major part in assisting the crack growth rate.