Metal fatigue. What it is, why it matters. (Q2463369)

This book is devoted to engineering viewpoint on the problems of metal fatigue. The book is divided into nine chapters and three appendices. The first introductory chapter presents some examples of fatigue fracture of different engineering samples. Ch. 2 traces the historical backgrounds of metal fatigue and the development of experimental methods up to the modern era. The next chapter observes some main concepts based on Wohler curves. The main attention is paid to the mechanisms of metal fatigue. The multiaxial fatigue loadings is the center of Ch. 4. Mathematical basis of fatigue loading is described by using sufficiently simple language and terminology. The situations, philosophies and approaches of fatigue design are analyzed in Ch. 5 with consideration of the corresponding standards and regulations. Ch. 6 illustrates some factors affecting the fatigue strength of metals in crack-initiation dominated situations, namely effects of surface finish, of mean stress, of multiaxial fatigue loading and of existing notches. Ch. 7 considers the factors affecting the fatigue strength of metals in crack-propagation dominated situations under mode I loading, assuming that the crack path is known. In particular, there are considered the effects of Young's modulus, the sample thickness, crack closure, short and long cracks, and also interaction effects. Some attention is given to the fractography of fracture surfaces. Macroscopic aspects of fatigue crack paths are analyzed in Ch. 8, considering the differences between 2D and 3D investigations. A particular attention is directed to study of crack path stability and crack path prediction. The final chapter briefly discusses modern trends in the metal fatigue studies. Appendix A presents the main ideas of fracture mechanics on the base of Volterra distorsions. In particular, there are considered stress intensity factors for different loading modes, and various effects influencing these factors. Appendix B discusses the application of random process theory to fatigue loading. Finally, appendix C presents popular methods of non-destructive testing used in metal fatigue researches, namely visual inspection, magnetic particle inspection, dye penetration, radiography, ultrasonics and using of electromagnetic fields. Moreover, the important statistical concepts of probability of detection and probability of sizing are present. In total, this book may be useful as initial course for engineering students whose professional interests will be connected with fatigue loading and fracture problems.