The linear-elastic Theory of Critical Distances to estimate high-cycle fatigue strength of notched metallic materials at elevated temperatures

This paper investigates the accuracy of the linear-elastic Theory of Critical Distances (TCD) in estimating high-cycle fatigue strength of notched metallic materials experiencing elevated temperatures during in-service operations. The TCD postulates that the fatigue damage extent can be estimated by directly post-processing the entire linear-elastic stress field acting on the material in the vicinity of the crack initiation locations. The key feature of this theory is that the high-cycle fatigue assessment is based on a scale length parameter that is assumed to be a material property. The accuracy of this design method was checked against a number of experimental results generated, under axial loading, by testing, at 250 degrees C, notched specimens of carbon steel C45. To further investigate the reliability of the TCD, its accuracy was also checked via several data taken from the literature, these experimental results being generated by testing notched samples of Inconel 718 at 500 degrees C as well as notched specimens of directionally solidified superalloy DZ125 at 850 degrees C. This validation exercise allowed us to prove that the linear-elastic TCD is successful in estimating high-cycle fatigue strength of notched metallic materials exposed to elevated temperature, resulting in estimates falling within an error interval of +/- 20%. Such a high level of accuracy suggests that, in situations of practical interest, reliable high-cycle fatigue assessment can be performed without the need for taking into account those non-linearities characterising the mechanical behaviour of metallic materials at high temperature, the used critical distance being still a material property whose value does not depend on the sharpness of the notch being designed.