Microstructure and mesh sensitivities of mesoscale surrogate driving force measures for transgranular fatigue cracks in polycrystals

Abstract The number of cycles required to form and grow microstructurally small fatigue cracks in metals exhibits substantial variability, particularly for low applied strain amplitudes. This variability is commonly attributed to the heterogeneity of cyclic plastic deformation within the microstructure, and presents a challenge to minimum life design of fatigue resistant components. This paper analyzes sources of variability that contribute to the driving force of transgranular fatigue cracks within nucleant grains. We employ crystal plasticity finite element simulations that explicitly render the polycrystalline microstructure and Fatigue Indicator Parameters (FIPs) averaged over different volume sizes and shapes relative to the anticipated fatigue damage process zone. Volume averaging is necessary to both achieve description of a finite fatigue damage process zone and to regularize mesh dependence in simulations. Results from constant amplitude remote applied straining are characterized in terms of the extreme value distributions of volume averaged FIPs. Grain averaged FIP values effectively mitigate mesh sensitivity, but they smear out variability within grains. Volume averaging over bands that encompass critical transgranular slip planes appear to present the most attractive approach to mitigate mesh sensitivity while preserving variability within grains.