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EPSRC Reference: GR/L48669/01
Title: EFFECTS OF MICRO-TEXTURE AND PLANARITY OF SLIP ON THE PROPAGATION OF SHORT FATIGUE CRACKS IN AL-LI ALLOYS
Principal Investigator: Wilkinson, Professor AJ
Other Investigators:
Cantor, Professor B Martin, Dr J
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
British Aluminium Ltd Ministry of Defence (MOD) Westland
Department: Materials
Organisation: University of Oxford
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 01 May 1997 Ends: 30 April 2000 Value (£): 227,964
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Materials Characterisation
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Aerospace, Defence and Marine Manufacturing
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
The research aims to characterise the interaction of plastic zones ahead of short fatigue cracks with grain boundaries. Such interactions cause a beneficial retardation of the crack growth. The electron channelling contrast imaging (ECCI) technique, developed at Oxford, will be used to gain previously unobtainable characterisation these plastic zones and to examine the role of grain size, planarity of slip, and grain boundary type on the strength of the crack retardation. The experimental data generated will be used to develop a model based on the dynamics of dislocations during the cyclic loading -unloading of the crack. Microstructural parameters will be incorporated to account for grain size and the planarity of slip. In two commercial Al-Li alloys (8090 and UL30) electron back scatter diffraction (EBSD) will be used to characterise the spatial distribution of grain orientations at the microscopic scale. The paths taken by short fatigue cracks will correlated with crack growth rates, with the aim of identifying microstructural and microtextural features that promote and inhibit the crack growth.
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Organisation Website: http://www.ox.ac.uk