Corrosion fatigue fracture mechanics methods

F.P. Ford, Current Understanding of the Mechanisms of Stress Corrosion and Corrosion Fatigue, Environment-Sensitive Fracture Evaluation and Comparison of Test Methods, STP 821, S.W. Dean, E.N. Pugh, and G.M. Ugiansky, Ed., ASTM, 1984, p 32-51... 

Fracture of massive brittle and ductile pieces are rather well understood. By taking proper account of the microstructure as well as the micro- and macro-defects, most catastrophic and fatigue failures find a satisfactory explanation within the scope of the linear elastic fracture mechanics or the elasto-plastic fracture mechanics. Metallic filaments are particular and in many respects deserve a treatment of their own. Particular fabrication methods, such as drawing, melt spinning or crystallization from the vapor phase for whiskers are needed to obtain their small lateral dimensions. These processes may give rise to particular textures, intrinsic and extrinsic defects. Thermal treatments may modify or eliminate such defects but in many cases fracture is initiated by defects that stem from the fabrication process. Moreover, the small lateral dimensions, especially in micro-wires, make metallic filaments prone to external influences. Corrosive attacks may rapidly affect an important fraction of their cross-section. Hydrogen, for instance, which usually results in a severe embrittlement, may diffuse up to the core in a rather short time. 

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