corrosion Fatigue

introduction:
corrosion fatigue is a big and widely section. What this
term paper is going to represent , First the definition of
fatigue corrosion and what the most effective process on it
, After that the process of corrosion fatigue in generally
and how can the engineer know if there is a corrosion
fatigue . Also,
present the most important to
understanding the fatigue life which is S-N diagram. Then
presenting how the corrosion fatigue initiates and
propagates .
what happen to fatigue in corrosive
environment will be discuss and showing some graphs
about that. After that the evidence of corrosion fatigue
and the difference between the corrosion fatigue and just
fatigue . Also, presented some Characteristics of corrosion
fatigue with a graph and the Variables affecting corrosion
fatigue.

corrosion Fatigue:
Corrosion Fatigue is process in which the failure of a
metal by cracking under repeated cyclic loading at lower
stress level and in a corrosive environment . A corrosive
environment plays a significant role in the fatigue of highstrength structural materials like steel, aluminium and
titanium alloys. Also The corrosive environment can cause
a faster crack growth. fatigue can be in ships, aircraft,
heat exchangers tubes , pump shaft and steel equipment.

Fig(1): Corrosion Fatigue Cracks in Brass

Process of corrosion fatigue :

This is a process where the fractures will happened
under condition of corrosion. The cracking begins at the
surface defect. Hole and irregularities and propagate
trans granularly . Failure occurs by crack propagation . The
crack are unbranched and propagate perpendicular to the
surface of the metal. But before all that We have two
stages first one Is about the initiation of corrosion fatigue
crack then the propagation of corrosion fatigue crack.

Fig(2): trans granular cracks in corrosion fatigue

diagram N-S:
A fatigue curve is commonly known as S-N diagram .
is obtained by plotting the number of cyclic required to
Couse failure against the maximum applied cyclic stress .
Fatigue occurs when a material fails under a cyclical stress
which is below the yield stress of the material and on each
repeated stress cycle, the crack grows. The repeated
cyclic will continue repeating until the cracking is
happened . in the fig there is two lines the first one is
about the fatigue curve in the air as you can see the
endurance limit . endurance limit is the maximum stress
at which a material will never exhibit fatigue. Some metals
dont have endurance limit. As long as the cyclic increase
and the stress decrease the fatigue happened. the second
one is about the fatigue corrosion which is about the
aluminium alloys in tap water. As you can see aluminium
dont
have
endurance
limit.

Fig(4): fatigue and corrosion fatigue curves for an

aluminium alloy

In figure (4) there are three conditions for the same

metal . As shown in the figure fatigue behaviour of the
metal in air stops at almost 300 N/mm*2 this is the
endurance limit for the metal in air. The second and third
lines the metal is in corrosive environment For water and
sodium chloride solution as the graph represented they
are under the endurance limit for the metal .

Fig(4): fatigue and fatigue corrosion for some metal in airwater and sodium chloride solution.

fig(5):low cyclic fatigue

Initiation of corrosion fatigue cracks:

The a fatigue crack has two parts, initiation and

propagation . There are several possible for starting the
initiation of fatigue such as scratch on the metal ,twin
boundaries, and slip band. The cracks are initiated start
often at the surface of the metal. But it could also start
from under surface in the presence of surface defect .
during the loading part of the cycle , slip bands will occurs
. the surface created by slip may oxidize during the
unloading period . After that the first step cyclic make the
intrusion or extrusion . Then by continued deformation in
the next cyclic the intrusion may grow and form a crack.

Fig(6):slip band intrusion and extrusion

Propagation of corrosion fatigue:

After the crack is happened now the dissection the
phenomena of propagation of corrosion fatigue . The crack
start to propagate in the direction of the stress axis. The
stress concentration cusses local deformation in a zone at
the crack tip . because of the increasing in plastic zone
the crack will growth. The zone continue growing until it
reach the thickness of the sample. After the zone became

as the thickness of the sample there is no stress plain.

The crack propagates in a direction perpendicular to the
tensile stress. The crack undergoes rotation. After that on
each cyclic the crack start to growth.

Corrosion fatigue evidence:

The difference between the fatigue and the corrosion
fatigue is that in the fatigue rarely there is any evidence
that conform that in the fatigue there is more than one
crack while in the corrosion fatigue have more than one
crack its usually easy to determine whether the failure
was because of the corrosion fatigue or by fatigue . two
things that special the corrosion fatigue the surface of the
metal is pitted and the cracks are often are in the bottom
of
the
pits.

Fig(7): corrosion fatigue failure from the origin

Corrosive Environment :

Fatigue crack rate depends very strongly on the

environments as well as on the metal . In an Aggressive
environment the rate of the metal cracking is higher than
in the inert environment and the two environment have
the same condition. The lowest crack rate was observed in
the inert environment . there is two type of environment
liquids and gaseous , generally the most aggressive rate
the cracking could increase in is in the liquid.

figure(8): influence of corrosive environment on fatigue

crack rate
This figure is about corrosive and the inert environment
. As the graph presented the in the y-axis there is the log
dl/dn which is about the time and I the x-axis log k a which
is threshold value. As you can see the the the inert
environment are less than corrosive environment in the k c
(fracture toughness) , So based on the graph you can
know that rate of fatigue cracking in corrosive
environmental more than the inert environment.

Characteristics of corrosion fatigue:

1- The main thing that unique the fatigue corrosion is
the cracks near the fracture , in a normal fatigue
usually there is one crack near the fracture.
2- The corrosion fatigue cracks in certain steels are
trans granular . figure (2).

3- The crack generally initiated at the surface where

the stress is maximum.
4- The striations in corrosion fatigue is less clearer than
in fatigue failure. Figure (9).

Fi
g(9): fatigue striations

Variable affecting corrosion fatigue:

1- Mechanical :
Stress intensity .
Cyclic load frequency.
Stress ratio
2- Metallurgical :
Microstructure.
Composition .
Heat treatment.
Fracture toughness.
3- Environmental :
Temperature.

 Species.
Ph.
Potential.

Conclusion:
What I came up to after this report is knowing what is
the corrosion fatigue and the most affective on it is the
corrosive environment and it reduce the metal life , the
difference between the corrosion fatigue and fatigue,
learning and studying the most important diagram for
corrosion fatigue which is S-N diagram and knowing the
endurance limit , the process of fatigue and there is to
things that the corrosion fatigue depend on them before
the failure of the metal which is initiation and propagation
of corrosion fatigue , the evidence of whiter or not there is
corrosion fatigue or just fatigue by knowing that there is in
corrosion fatigue more than one cracking and pits in it.

Reference:
1- Philippe Marcus, corrosion mechanisms in theory and
practice .
2- Herbert H. Uhlig , the corrosion handbook.
3- Zaki ahmed , principles of corrosion engineering and
corrosion control.
4- Mirko Klesnil and Petr Lukas, Fatigue for metallic
material.
5- Pierre R.roberge, corrosion inspection and monitoring.