Torsional Fatigue and Bending Fatigue of Electropolished Low Carbon Steel Specimens

Rotating bending and torsional fatigue tests of plain and notched steel specimens with electropolished surfaces were carried out. The main results obtained are as follows. (1) The maximum shear stresses in the crack initiation limit of torsional fatigue are determined only by the stress gradient X independently of the notch depth as in the case of bending fatigue. (2) When the values of X are equal, the maximum shear stress in the crack initiation limit of torsional fatigue is about 1.2 times that of bending fatigue. (3) The surface states of notch roots after 107 cycles of the limit stress for crack initiation in torsional fatigue are similar to each other irrespective of the maximum stress repeated on the notch root, as in the case of bending fatigue. The fatigue damages at the crack initiation limit under torsional stresses are severer than the ones under bending stresses. (4) The mechanism of non-propagation of a crack in torsional notched specimens is different from that in bending notched specimens.