Title: Crack Growth of Defects in Ti-6Al-4V Under Uniaxial Tension: Measurements and Modeling
This study investigates the effects of pores on the mechanical properties of metals produced by additive manufacturing, which can limit strength and ductility. This research aims to both measure and model the rate of crack growth emanating from these pores in additively manufactured Ti-6Al-4 V fabricated with laser powder bed fusion. Uniaxial tensile samples containing intentionally embedded penny-shaped pores were mechanically tested to failure, and loading was interrupted by a series of unload steps to measure the stiffness degradation with load. The factors contributing to reduction in stiffness, namely (1) elastic and plastic changes to geometry, (2) the effect of plastic deformation on modulus, and (3) crack growth, were deconvoluted through finite element modeling, and the crack size was estimated at each unloading step. The stiffness-based method was able to detect stable crack growth in samples with large pores (1.6% to 11% of the cross-sectional area). Crack growth as a function of strain was fit to a model where the crack driving force was based on equivalent strain and a model where the crack driving force was based on energy release rate. Significant crack growth occurred only after the onset of necking in samples containing small pores, while samples containing large pores experienced continuous crack growth with strain.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1652575
PAR ID:
10503139
Author(s) / Creator(s):
;
Publisher / Repository:
Springer
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Experimental Mechanics
Volume:
64
Issue:
2
ISSN:
0014-4851
Page Range / eLocation ID:
153 to 165
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
More Like this
  1. Background To ensure reliability of additively manufactured components in structural applications, an understanding of the combined behavior of pores and stress state on failure behavior is required. Objective This research aims to identify the capabilities and limitations of stress- and strain-based fracture models in describing failure in complex additively manufactured structures. Methods SS316L brackets with a three-dimensional truss-based geometry, in which stress state and pore size varied among struts, were fabricated with laser powder bed fusion. Fracture models considering both stress state and pore size, formulated in terms of stress (pore-size dependent Mohr–Coulomb, or P-MC) and strain (pore-size dependent Modified Mohr–Coulomb, or P-MMC), were calibrated and used to predict the fracture behavior of the brackets. Results The P-MMC fracture model correctly predicted the experimentally observed fracture locations for 11 out of 12 samples, while the P-MC fracture model correctly predicted 10 out of 12 samples. Below a critical pore size, stress state effects dominated the fracture behavior, and above this, pore size was the critical factor, where capturing both factors was crucial at intermediate pore sizes. Conclusions The P-MC fracture model was appropriate for predicting the maximum load-bearing capacity for all samples in this study, while the P-MMC fracture model was shown to be only applicable for samples containing small pores. The importance of incorporating both stress state and the presence of pores in a fracture model is necessary to ensure confidence in the load carrying capacity of additively manufactured structures. 
    more » « less
  2. This paper presents a relevant and timely study on the application of thermal loaded digital shearography for crack classification in glass fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP) structures, particularly air-cooled condenser (ACC) fan blades. A thermal loaded digital shearography system was applied to measure strain concentration caused by the cracks at different fatigue cycles. A thermomechanical model was introduced to estimate the heating temperature and the time to ensure heat can reach to the desired depth and that both shallow and deep cracks can be detected. In order to correlate the information of strain concentration in the shearograms to the different stages of cracks, fatigue testing with dynamic three-point bending was conducted. The fatigue tests demonstrated how the strain concentration evolved in the shearograms, while the crack developed from the early (no noticeable strain concentration), to the middle (strain concentration is forming), to the late stage (significant strain concentration is found). The relationships between the degrees of strain concentration in the shearograms and the different stages of cracks can be obtained from testing of the artificial cracks. Using the rules and experimental results obtained from artificial samples, digital shearography was applied to classify the crack stages in parts of ACC fan blades from industry. The combination of artificial crack testing, fatigue loading experiments, and validation with CT scans demonstrates a comprehensive approach and provides potential guidance for industry to determine criticality and maintenance criteria. 
    more » « less
  3. A 2D plane strain extended finite element method (XFEM) model was developed to simulate three-point bending fracture toughness tests for human bone conducted in hydrated and dehydrated conditions. Bone microstructures and crack paths observed by micro-CT imaging were simulated using an XFEM damage model. Critical damage strains for the osteons, matrix, and cement lines were deduced for both hydrated and dehydrated conditions and it was found that dehydration decreases the critical damage strains by about 50%. Subsequent parametric studies using the various microstructural models were performed to understand the impact of individual critical damage strain variations on the fracture behavior. The study revealed the significant impact of the cement line critical damage strains on the crack paths and fracture toughness during the early stages of crack growth. Furthermore, a significant sensitivity of crack growth resistance and crack paths on critical strain values of the cement lines was found to exist for the hydrated environments where a small change in critical strain values of the cement lines can alter the crack path to give a significant reduction in fracture resistance. In contrast, in the dehydrated state where toughness is low, the sensitivity to changes in critical strain values of the cement lines is low. Overall, our XFEM model was able to provide new insights into how dehydration affects the micromechanisms of fracture in bone and this approach could be further extended to study the effects of aging, disease, and medical therapies on bone fracture. 
    more » « less
  4. Additively manufactured metals often contain pores, which limit the strength and ductility of resulting components. In this study, a ductile fracture model was developed to describe the effect of pore size, in terms of absolute and relative metrics, on fracture strain under uniaxial tension. The model approximates lack of fusion (LoF) pores as penny-shaped cracks, and damage accumulation was based on the J-integral and secondary Q parameter. The model was calibrated with Ti-6Al-4V samples with intentionally introduced pores fabricated by laser powder bed fusion (PBF-LB) additive manufacturing (AM) in as-built and heat-treated conditions. The model captures the experimentally observed size effect, where for a given pore area fraction, larger samples fracture at smaller strains. By identifying the critical pore size for a single, isolated pore for either load or displacement-controlled applications, the model developed in this study is a crucial step to developing a comprehensive fracture model for establishing confidence in the structural capability of pore-containing additively manufactured components. 
    more » « less
  5. We have developed a force sensing system to continuously evaluate the mechanical elasticity of micrometer-scale (a few hundred micrometers to a millimeter) live tissues. The sensing is achieved by measuring the deflection of force sensitive cantilevers through microscopic image analysis, which does not require electrical strain gauges. Cantilevers made of biocompatible polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) were actuated by a piezoelectric actuator and functioned as a pair of chopsticks to measure the stiffness of the specimen. The dimensions of the cantilevers were easily adjusted to match the size, range, and stiffness of the zebrafish samples. In this paper, we demonstrated the versatility of this technique by measuring the mechanical elasticity of zebrafish embryos at different stages of development. The stiffness of zebrafish embryos was measured once per hour for 9 h. From the experimental results, we successfully quantified the stiffness change of zebrafish embryos during embryonic development. 
    more » « less