Effect of Residual Stress Field in Front of the Slant Precrack Tip on Bent Fatigue Crack Propagation

Fatigue crack bending and propagation behaviors were studied under mixed-mode conditions using annealed and fatigue slant precracks. The bent fatigue crack initiated from the fatigue slant precrack propagated under mixed-mode conditions with mode II stress intensity factor evaluated from the crack sliding displacement measured along the crack. On the other hand, bent fatigue cracks propagated under the mode I condition for an annealed slant precrack specimen. The forces which suppress the crack opening/sliding were calculated along the slant precrack and the bent crack by FEM (Finite Element Method) analysis. As a result, the crack opening suppress forces were generated by the compressive residual stress around the fatigue slant precrack, while the forces which promote the crack sliding were caused by the residual stress field in front of the fatigue slant precrack.