Fatigue crack propagation in an ECAP-processed aluminium alloy - influence of shear plane orientation

In this work, the orientation-dependent fatigue crack propagation behaviour in an ECAP-processed aluminium alloy is investigated. For a bimodal condition with elongated structures as well as for a homogeneous condition with equiaxed ultrafine grains, the tendency for crack path deviation was evaluated for different sample orientations. In the case of elongated structures, the crack path is deflected towards the elongation plane. However, the angle of deviation differs, depending on whether the fatigue crack propagation rate was in the near-threshold and lower Paris-Erdogan regime (higher angle of deviation) or the upper Paris-Erdogan regime (smaller angle of deviation). Especially in the near-threshold region, the crack path deviation is linked to higher crack growth rates when compared to ideally straight crack propagation. This effect can be explained by the effects of processing-induced damage and local stress fields along the elongated structures.