Failure of structural polymeric materials under cyclic application of stress or strain is a subject of industrial importance. The understanding of fatigue mechanisms (damage) and the development of constitutive equations for damage evolution, leading to crack initiation and propagation as a function of loading or displacement history, represent a fundamental problem for scientists and engineers. This article describes the approaches to predict fatigue life and discusses the difference between thermal and mechanical fatigue failure of polymers.

Alloy 6156 is an Al-Si-Mg-Cu-Mn weldable alloy, developed for the lower portion of the fuselage, which required a T6 temper strength level and high damage tolerance properties. This datasheet provides information on key alloy metallurgy of this 6xxx series alloy. Fatigue crack growth and material toughness for various thicknesses of alloy 6156 clad T62 are illustrated.

The overarching goal of life-prediction research is to develop models for the various types of time dependencies in the crack-tip damage accumulation that occur in materials subjected to elevated temperatures. This article focuses on describing the models based on creep, oxidation kinetics, evolution of crack-tip stress fields due to creep, oxygen ingress, and change in the microstructure. It also provides a summary of creep-fatigue modeling approaches.

This article reviews the applied aspects of creep and stress-rupture failures. It discusses the microstructural changes and bulk mechanical behavior of classical and nonclassical creep behavior. The article provides a description of microstructural changes and damage from creep deformation, including stress-rupture fractures. It also describes metallurgical instabilities, such as aging and carbide reactions, and evaluates the complex effects of creep-fatigue interaction. The article concludes with a discussion on thermal fatigue and creep fatigue failures.

This article describes the phenomena of crack initiation and early growth. It examines specimen design and preparation as well as the apparatus used in crack initiation testing. The article provides descriptions of the various commercially available fatigue testing machines: axial fatigue testing machines and bending fatigue machines. Load cells, grips and alignment devices, extensometry and strain measuring devices, environmental chambers, graphic recorders, furnaces, and heating systems of ancillary equipment are discussed. The article presents technologies available to accomplish closed loop control of materials testing systems in performing standard materials tests and for the development of custom testing applications. It explores the advanced software tools for materials testing. The article includes a description of baseline isothermal fatigue testing, creep-fatigue interaction, and thermomechanical fatigue. The effects of various variables on fatigue resistance and guidelines for fatigue testing are also presented.

This article reviews the influence of local strains and corrosion fatigue on the initiation of fatigue cracks in duplex stainless steels. It provides useful information on fatigue crack growth, fatigue strength, and fracture toughness of duplex stainless steels. The article discusses the fatigue and fracture behavior of duplex stainless steels during stress-corrosion cracking. It details the elevated-temperature properties of duplex stainless steels, such as creep-fatigue behavior and thermal cycling properties.

This article describes the concepts for characterizing and predicting elevated-temperature crack growth in structural materials. It discusses both creep and creep-fatigue crack growth and focuses mainly on creep crack growth tests that are carried out in accordance with ASTM E 1457. The article provides information on typical test procedures and equipment used for these tests. It concludes with information on crack growth correlations.