ON THE IMPACT FATIGUE CRACK GROWTH BEHAVIOUR OF METALLIC MATERIALS

The impact fatigue crack growth characteristics of a low carbon steel and an aluminium alloy were studied. An impact fatigue testing machine of the Hopkinson bar type was used in these experiments to conduct a series of crack growth tests under simple impact stresses. The following characteristics of impact fatigue crack growth behaviour were revealed: (1) crack growth rate is higher in impact fatigue than in non-impact fatigue; (2) crack opening ratio in impact fatigue takes a higher value than in non-impact fatigue; (3) crack tip plastic zone size is smaller in impact fatigue than in non-impact fatigue.