Examples of Aluminium

Fractography
Professor M Neil James
mjames@plymouth.ac.uk

Department of Mechanical & Marine Engineering

University of Plymouth

Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA

ENGLAND

Fractography Resource - mjames@plymouth.ac.uk

Contents Use the hyperlinks to navigate around this resource

Bend fatigue of 6261-T6 alloy

Torsion fatigue of 6061-T6 alloy

Ductile fracture of 6061-T6 alloy

Fatigue of 8090-T8511 Al-Li alloy

Ductile fracture of 8090-T8511 Al-Li alloy

Bend fatigue of friction stir welded 5383-H321 alloy

Ductile fracture of 5383-H321 alloy

Fractography Resource - mjames@plymouth.ac.uk

Bend fatigue of 6261-T6 alloy

Al 0.74Mg 0.63Si 0.19Fe 0.26Cu 0.025Zn 0.020Ti
Peak aged - PS = 282 MPa Parent Plate (I-beam flange)
Linear growth rate
regime ~ 10-4
mm/cycle
Arrows indicate
grain boundaries

Original
magnification 80x

Fractography Resource - mjames@plymouth.ac.uk

Bend fatigue of 6261-T6 alloy

Al 0.74Mg 0.63Si 0.19Fe 0.26Cu 0.025Zn 0.020Ti
Peak aged - PS = 282 MPa Crack at weld toe of cover plate
Linear growth rate
regime ~ 10-4
mm/cycle
The HAZ appears to
be embrittled, and
cleavage facets are
present

Original
magnification 20x

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Fractography Resource - mjames@plymouth.ac.uk

Torsion fatigue of 6061-T6 alloy

Al 0.8-1.0Mg 0.4-0.8Si 0.70Fe 0.15-0.40Cu 0.25Zn 0.15Ti 0.15Mn
Peak aged - PS = 312 MPa extruded rod
Crack initiation
region
Original
magnification given
by micron marker

Fractography Resource - mjames@plymouth.ac.uk

Torsion fatigue of 6061-T6 alloy

Al 0.8-1.0Mg 0.4-0.8Si 0.70Fe 0.15-0.40Cu 0.25Zn 0.15Ti 0.15Mn
Peak aged - PS = 312 MPa extruded rod
Crack initiation
region smooth
areas of slip band
cracking are present
Original
magnification given
by micron marker

Fractography Resource - mjames@plymouth.ac.uk

Torsion fatigue of 6061-T6 alloy

Al 0.8-1.0Mg 0.4-0.8Si 0.70Fe 0.15-0.40Cu 0.25Zn 0.15Ti 0.15Mn
Peak aged - PS = 312 MPa extruded rod
Crack growth
appears to have a
component of MVC
Original
magnification given
by micron marker

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Fractography Resource - mjames@plymouth.ac.uk

Ductile fracture of 6061-T6 alloy

Al 0.8-1.0Mg 0.4-0.8Si 0.70Fe 0.15-0.40Cu 0.25Zn 0.15Ti 0.15Mn
Peak aged - PS = 312 MPa extruded rod
Precipitate particles
are present at the
bottom of voids
Original
magnification given
by micron marker

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Fractography Resource - mjames@plymouth.ac.uk

Fatigue of 8090-T8511 Al-Li alloy

Al 2.37Li 1.19Cu 0.82Mg 0.11Zr
Peak aged - PS = 300 MPa large extrusion 120 mm by 100 mm
Heat treatment leads
to grain boundary
precipitation of
Al2CuMg, which
affects crack growth

IG regions are often

present

Original
magnification given
by micron marker

Fractography Resource - mjames@plymouth.ac.uk

Fatigue of 8090-T8511 Al-Li alloy

Al 2.37Li 1.19Cu 0.82Mg 0.11Zr
Peak aged - PS = 300 MPa large extrusion 120 mm by 100 mm
Heat treatment leads
to grain boundary
precipitation of
Al2CuMg, which
affects crack growth

IG regions are often

present

Original
magnification given
by micron marker

10

Fractography Resource - mjames@plymouth.ac.uk

Fatigue of 8090-T8511 Al-Li alloy

Al 2.37Li 1.19Cu 0.82Mg 0.11Zr
Peak aged - PS = 300 MPa large extrusion 120 mm by 100 mm
Heat treatment leads
to grain boundary
precipitation of
Al2CuMg, which
affects crack growth

Typical IG region at
high magnification

Original
magnification given
by micron marker

11

Fractography Resource - mjames@plymouth.ac.uk

Fatigue of 8090-T8511 Al-Li alloy

Al 2.37Li 1.19Cu 0.82Mg 0.11Zr
Peak aged - PS = 300 MPa large extrusion 120 mm by 100 mm
Heat treatment leads
to grain boundary
precipitation of
Al2CuMg, which
affects crack growth

'Blocky' striated
fatigue also occurs

Original
magnification given
by micron marker

12

Fractography Resource - mjames@plymouth.ac.uk

Fatigue of 8090-T8511 Al-Li alloy

Al 2.37Li 1.19Cu 0.82Mg 0.11Zr
Peak aged - PS = 300 MPa large extrusion 120 mm by 100 mm
Heat treatment leads
to grain boundary
precipitation of
Al2CuMg, which
affects crack growth

Regions of 'normal'
striated fatigue also
occur

Original
magnification given
by micron marker

13

Fractography Resource - mjames@plymouth.ac.uk

Fatigue of 8090-T8511 Al-Li alloy

Al 2.37Li 1.19Cu 0.82Mg 0.11Zr
Peak aged - PS = 300 MPa large extrusion 120 mm by 100 mm
Interface between
ductile fast fracture
(MVC) and fatigue is
shown here

Original
magnification given
by micron marker

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14

Fractography Resource - mjames@plymouth.ac.uk

Ductile fracture of 8090-T8511 Al-Li alloy

Al 2.37Li 1.19Cu 0.82Mg 0.11Zr
Peak aged - PS = 300 MPa large extrusion 120 mm by 100 mm
Typical MVC is
shown here

Original
magnification given
by micron marker

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15

Fractography Resource - mjames@plymouth.ac.uk

Bend Fatigue of 5383-H321 alloy

Al 4.43Mg 0.78Mn 0.12Si 0.21Zn 0.09Fe 0.09Cu 0.09Cr
Strain hardened quarter hard - PS = 272 MPa single pass friction stir
welded
Crack initiation is
from tool travel
marks

Original
magnification given
by micron marker

16

Fractography Resource - mjames@plymouth.ac.uk

Bend Fatigue of 5383-H321 alloy

Al 4.43Mg 0.78Mn 0.12Si 0.21Zn 0.09Fe 0.09Cu 0.09Cr
Strain hardened quarter hard - PS = 272 MPa single pass friction stir
welded
High cycle fatigue
shows signs of the
underlying
microstructure

Original
magnification given
by micron marker

17

Fractography Resource - mjames@plymouth.ac.uk

Bend Fatigue of 5383-H321 alloy

Al 4.43Mg 0.78Mn 0.12Si 0.21Zn 0.09Fe 0.09Cu 0.09Cr
Strain hardened quarter hard - PS = 272 MPa single pass friction stir
welded
Low cycle fatigue
appears more
generally ductile
striated growth
Original
magnification given
by micron marker

18

Fractography Resource - mjames@plymouth.ac.uk

Bend Fatigue of 5383-H321 alloy

Al 4.43Mg 0.78Mn 0.12Si 0.21Zn 0.09Fe 0.09Cu 0.09Cr
Strain hardened quarter hard - PS = 272 MPa single pass friction stir
welded
Low cycle fatigue
shows clear
striations at high
magnification
Original
magnification given
by micron marker

19

Fractography Resource - mjames@plymouth.ac.uk

Bend Fatigue of 5383-H321 alloy

Al 4.43Mg 0.78Mn 0.12Si 0.21Zn 0.09Fe 0.09Cu 0.09Cr
Strain hardened quarter hard - PS = 272 MPa single pass friction stir
welded
SP FSW can lead to
partial-fusion defects
in the weld nugget
(also called 'kissing'
bonds)

Original
magnification given
by micron marker

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20

Fractography Resource - mjames@plymouth.ac.uk

Ductile Fracture of 5383-H321 alloy

Al 4.43Mg 0.78Mn 0.12Si 0.21Zn 0.09Fe 0.09Cu 0.09Cr
Strain hardened quarter hard - PS = 272 MPa single pass friction stir
welded
MVC in this alloy

Original
magnification given
by micron marker

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21

Fractography Resource - mjames@plymouth.ac.uk