Skip to main content
Journal cover image

High cycle fatigue of a die cast AZ91E-T4 magnesium alloy

Publication ,  Journal Article
Horstemeyer, MF; Yang, N; Gall, K; McDowell, DL; Fan, J; Gullett, PM
Published in: Acta Materialia
March 8, 2004

This study reveals the micro-mechanisms of fatigue crack nucleation and growth in a commercial high-pressure die cast automotive AZ91E-T4 Mg component. Mechanical fatigue tests were conducted under R=-1 conditions on specimens machined at different locations in the casting at total strain amplitudes ranging from 0.02% to 0.5%. Fracture surfaces of specimens that failed in the high cycle fatigue regime with lives spanning two orders of magnitude were examined using a scanning electron microscope. The difference in lives for the Mg specimens was primarily attributed to a drastic difference in nucleation site sizes, which ranged from several hundred μm's to several mm's. A secondary effect may include the influence of average secondary dendrite arm spacing and average grain size. At low crack tip driving forces (K max<3.5 MPa√m) intact particles and boundaries act as barriers to fatigue crack propagation, and consequently the cracks tended to avoid the interdendritic regions and progress through the cells, leaving a fine striated pattern in this single-phase region. At high driving forces (K max>3.5 MPa√m) fractured particles and boundary decohesion created weak paths for fatigue crack propagation, and consequently the cracks followed the interdendritic regions, leaving serrated markings as the crack progressed through this heterogeneous region. The ramifications of the results on future modeling efforts are discussed in detail. © 2003 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Acta Materialia

DOI

ISSN

1359-6454

Publication Date

March 8, 2004

Volume

52

Issue

5

Start / End Page

1327 / 1336

Related Subject Headings

  • Materials
  • 5104 Condensed matter physics
  • 4017 Mechanical engineering
  • 4016 Materials engineering
  • 0913 Mechanical Engineering
  • 0912 Materials Engineering
  • 0204 Condensed Matter Physics
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Horstemeyer, M. F., Yang, N., Gall, K., McDowell, D. L., Fan, J., & Gullett, P. M. (2004). High cycle fatigue of a die cast AZ91E-T4 magnesium alloy. Acta Materialia, 52(5), 1327–1336. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2003.11.018
Horstemeyer, M. F., N. Yang, K. Gall, D. L. McDowell, J. Fan, and P. M. Gullett. “High cycle fatigue of a die cast AZ91E-T4 magnesium alloy.” Acta Materialia 52, no. 5 (March 8, 2004): 1327–36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2003.11.018.
Horstemeyer MF, Yang N, Gall K, McDowell DL, Fan J, Gullett PM. High cycle fatigue of a die cast AZ91E-T4 magnesium alloy. Acta Materialia. 2004 Mar 8;52(5):1327–36.
Horstemeyer, M. F., et al. “High cycle fatigue of a die cast AZ91E-T4 magnesium alloy.” Acta Materialia, vol. 52, no. 5, Mar. 2004, pp. 1327–36. Scopus, doi:10.1016/j.actamat.2003.11.018.
Horstemeyer MF, Yang N, Gall K, McDowell DL, Fan J, Gullett PM. High cycle fatigue of a die cast AZ91E-T4 magnesium alloy. Acta Materialia. 2004 Mar 8;52(5):1327–1336.
Journal cover image

Published In

Acta Materialia

DOI

ISSN

1359-6454

Publication Date

March 8, 2004

Volume

52

Issue

5

Start / End Page

1327 / 1336

Related Subject Headings

  • Materials
  • 5104 Condensed matter physics
  • 4017 Mechanical engineering
  • 4016 Materials engineering
  • 0913 Mechanical Engineering
  • 0912 Materials Engineering
  • 0204 Condensed Matter Physics