Synchrotron diffraction investigation of the distribution and influence of residual stresses in fatigue

This paper presents some results obtained from synchrotron diffraction investigations into two somewhat related areas of interest to the fatigue community. Firstly, the influence of fatigue cycling on the distribution and magnitude of residual strains and stresses and, secondly, the residual strains and stresses engendered around a growing fatigue crack. Its main premise is that modern tools such as automated synchrotron strain scanning offer the potential for more complete insight into the distribution of residual strains and stresses and their influence on fatigue performance. The first part of the work was accomplished using friction-stir welded (FSW) and metal-inert gas (MIG) welded specimens. The particular interest in these specimens was obtaining detailed knowledge regarding as-welded variation in residual stresses between specimens, the location of peak values relative to local microstructure and stress concentrations, and of their modification during fatigue cycling. Such information may indicate a route forward to the selection of welding process parameters for optimised fatigue performance. The second part of the work considered an established fatigue crack in a compact tension (CT) specimen and examined the ability of synchrotron diffraction to characterize the stresses associated with the plastic enclave around a fatigue crack. This work is of interest in the context of better knowledge of crack-tip shielding by plasticity-induced closure and its incorporation into life prediction methodologies.