Repair Welding Effects on the Bending Fatigue Strength of AISI 4130 Aeronautical Steel used in a Critical to the Flight-Safety Structure

The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of successive TIG (tungsten inert gas) welding repairs on the reverse bending fatigue strength of AISI 4130 steel, which is widely used in components critical to the flight-safety. In order to simulate the abrupt maneuvers, wind bursts, motor vibration and helixes efforts, which generate cyclic bending loadings at the welded joints of a specific aircraft component called motor cradle, experimental reverse bending fatigue tests were carried out on specimens made from hot-rolled steel plate, 1.10 mm (0.043 in) thick, by mean of a SCHENK PWS equipment, with load ratio R = -1, under constant amplitude, at 30 Hz frequency and room temperature. It was observed that the bending fatigue strength decreases after the TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) welding process application on AISI 4130 steel, with subsequent decrease due to re-welding sequence as well. Microstructural analyses and microhardness measurements on the base material, heat-affected zone (HAZ) and weld metal, as well as the effects of the weld bead geometry on the obtained results, have complemented this study.

Effects of several TIG weld repairs on the axial fatigue strength of AISI 4130 aeronautical steel-welded joints

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Effects of surface treatments on the fatigue strength of AISI 4340 aeronautical steel

Internal residual stresses significantly influence the fatigue strength of coated materials. It is well known that chromium plating is the most used electrodeposited coating for important industrial applications. However, pressure to identify alternatives or to improve the chromium electroplating process have increased in recent years, related to the reduction in fatigue strength of the base material and to environmental requirements. The high efficiency and fluoride free hard chromium electroplating there called accelerated) is an improvement to the conventional process. One environmentally safer and cleaner alternative to hard chromium plating is tungsten carbide thermal spray coating applied by the High Velocity Oxy-Fuel (HVOF) process. To increase the fatigue strength of chromium plated materials, coating thickness and microcracks density are important parameters to be controlled. Techniques as compressive residual stresses induced by shot peening and multilayers, are also used. The aim of this study was to analyse the effects on AISI 4340 steel, in the rotating bending fatigue behaviour, of the: tungsten carbide thermal spray coating applied by HP/HVOF process; chemical nickel underplate, and shot peening process applied before coating deposition, in comparison to hard chromium electroplatings. Rotating bending fatigue test results indicate better performance for the conventional hard chromium plating in relation to the accelerated hard chromium electroplating. Tungsten carbide thermal spray coating and accelerated hard chromium plate over nickel resulted in higher fatigue strength when compared to samples conventional or accelerated hard chromium plated. Shot peening showed to be an excellent alternative to increase fatigue strength of AISI 4340 steel hard chromium electroplated. (C) 2001 Elsevier B.V. Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fatigue Behavior of Weld Repaired AISI 4130 Aeronautic Steel Used in Critical Flight Safety Structures

Since the 1950s, fatigue is the most important project and operational consideration for both civil and military aircrafts. For some aircraft models the most loaded component is one that supports the motor: the Motor Cradle. Because they are considered critical to the flight safety the aeronautic standards are extremely rigorous in manufacturing them by imposing a zero index of defects on the final weld quality (Safe Life), which is 100% inspected by Non-Destructive Testing/NDT. This study has as objective to evaluate the effects of up to four successive TIG welding repairs on the axial fatigue strength of an AISI 4130 steel. Tests were conducted on hot-rolled steel plate specimens, 0.89 mm thick, with load ratio R = 0.1, constant amplitude, at 20 Hz frequency and in room temperature, in accordance with ASTM E466 Standard. The results were related to microhardness and microstructural and geometric changes resulting from welding cycles.

Considerations about the welding repair effects on the structural integrity of an airframe critical to the flight-safety

Structures critical to the flight-safety are commonly submitted to several maintenance repairs at the welded joints in order to prolong the in-service life of aircrafts. The aim of this study is to analyze the effects of Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welding repair on the structural integrity of the AISI 4130 aeronautical steel by means of experimental fatigue crack growth tests in base-material, heat-affected zone (HAZ) and weld metal. The tests were performed on hot-rolled steel plate specimens, 0.89 mm thick, with load ratio R = 0.1, constant amplitude, at 10 Hz frequency and room temperature. Increase of the fracture resistance was observed in the weld metal but decreasing in the HAZ after repair. The results were associated to microhardness and microstructural changes with the welding sequence. (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Fatigue strength of tungsten inert gas-repaired weld joints in airplane critical structures

In this work the effect of Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) repairs on the axial fatigue strength of an AISI 4130 steel welded joint used in airframe critical to the flight-safety was investigated. Fatigue tests were performed at room temperature on 0.89 mm thick hot-rolled plates with constant amplitude and load ratio of R = 0.1, at 20 Hz frequency. Monotonic tensile tests, optical metallography and microhardness, residual stress and weld geometric factors measurements were also performed. The fatigue strength decreased with the number of GTAW repairs, and was related to microstructural and microhardness changes, as well as residual stress field and weld profile geometry factors, which gave origin to high stress concentration at the weld toe. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation on fatigue strength of AISI 4340 steel aluminum coated by electroplating and IVD processes

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Criteria for prediction of flow instabilities and microstructural manifestations during warm working of AISI 304L stainless steel

The deformation characteristics of 304L stainless steel in compression in the temperature range 20–700°C and strain rate range 0·001–100 s−1 have been studied with the aim of characterising the .flow instabilities occurring in the microstructure. At higher temperatures and strain rates the stainless steel exhibits flow localisation, whereas at temperatures below 500°C and strain rates lower than 0·1 s−1 the flow instabilities are due to dynamic strain aging. Strain induced martensite formation is responsible for the flow instabilities at room temperature and low strain rates (0·01 s−1). In view of the occurrence of these instabilities, cold working is preferable to warm working to achieve dimensional tolerance and reproducible properties in the product. Among the different criteria tested to explain the occurrence of instabilities, the continuum criterion, developed on the basis of the principles of maximum rate of entropy production and separability of the dissipation function, predicts accurately all the above instability features.

Electron Beam Surface Treatment. Part I: Surface Hardening of AISI D3 Tool Steel

The effects of electron beam surface hardening treatment on the microstructure and hardness of AISI D3 tool steel have been investigated in this paper. The results showed that the microstructure of the hardened layer consisted of martensite, a dispersion

Mixed-mode fracture mechanisms near the fatigue threshold of aisi-316 stainless-steel

Near threshold, mixed mode (I and II), fatigue crack growth occurs mainly by two mechanisms, coplanar (or shear) mode and branch (or tensile) mode. For a constant ratio of ΔK_I/ΔK_II the shear mode growth shows a self-arrest character and it would only start again when ΔK_I and ΔK_II are increased. Both shear crack growth and the early stages of tensile crack growth, are of a crystallographic nature; the fatigue crack proceeds along slip planes or grain boundaries. The appearance of the fracture surfaces suggest that the mechanism of crack extension is by developing slip band microcracks which join up to form a macrocrack. This process is thought to be assisted by the nature of the plastic deformation within the reversed plastic zone where high back stresses are set up by dislocation pile-ups against grain boundaries. The interaction of the crack tip stress field with that of the dislocation pile-ups leads to the formation of slip band microcracks and subsequent crack extension. The change from shear mode to tensile mode growth probably occurs when the maximum tensile stress and the microcrack density in the maximum tensile plane direction attain critical values.

Effect of Cl- on the corrosive wear of AISI 321 stainless steel in H2SO4 solution

The effect of Cl- on the corrosive wear behaviour of AISI 321 stainless steel in H2SO4 solution was studied via the corrosive wear rate, the load bearing capacity of passive film and the relationship between pitting and corrosive wear. There is a critical load at natural potential, below which the corrosive wear rate is slightly lowered by Cl-, while above which is increased. At natural potential there are more pits at low load than that at a higher one in the wear tracks and the pits are also deeper. The load bearing capacity is lowered by Cl- at passive region and then the corrosive wear rate increased.

Stress corrosion cracking of AISI 321 stainless steel in acidic chloride solution

The stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of LambdaISI 321 stainless steel in acidic chloride solution was studied by slow strain rate (SSR) technique and fracture mechanics method. The fractured surface was characterized by cleavage fracture. In order to clarify the SCC mechanism, the effects of inhibitor KI on SCC behaviour were also included in this paper. A study showed that the inhibition effects of KI on SCC were mainly attributed to the anodic reaction of the corrosion process. The results of strain distribution in front of the crack tip of the fatigue pre-cracked plate specimens in air, in the blank solution (acidic chloride solution without inhibitor KI) and in the solution added with KI measured by speckle interferometry (SPI) support the unified mechanism of SCC and corrosion fatigue cracking (CFC).

Microstructure, mechanical properties and chemical degradation of brazed AISI 316 stainless steel/alumina systems

The main aims of the present study are simultaneously to relate the brazing parameters with: (i) the correspondent interfacial microstructure, (ii) the resultant mechanical properties and (iii) the electrochemical degradation behaviour of AISI 316 stainless steel/alumina brazed joints. Filler metals on such as Ag–26.5Cu–3Ti and Ag–34.5Cu–1.5Ti were used to produce the joints. Three different brazing temperatures (850, 900 and 950 °C), keeping a constant holding time of 20 min, were tested. The objective was to understand the influence of the brazing temperature on the final microstructure and properties of the joints. The mechanical properties of the metal/ceramic (M/C) joints were assessed from bond strength tests carried out using a shear solicitation loading scheme. The fracture surfaces were studied both morphologically and structurally using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). The degradation behaviour of the M/C joints was assessed by means of electrochemical techniques. It was found that using a Ag–26.5Cu–3Ti brazing alloy and a brazing temperature of 850 °C, produces the best results in terms of bond strength, 234 ± 18 MPa. The mechanical properties obtained could be explained on the basis of the different compounds identified on the fracture surfaces by XRD. On the other hand, the use of the Ag–34.5Cu–1.5Ti brazing alloy and a brazing temperature of 850 °C produces the best results in terms of corrosion rates (lower corrosion current density), 0.76 ± 0.21 μA cm−2. Nevertheless, the joints produced at 850 °C using a Ag–26.5Cu–3Ti brazing alloy present the best compromise between mechanical properties and degradation behaviour, 234 ± 18 MPa and 1.26 ± 0.58 μA cm−2, respectively. The role of Ti diffusion is fundamental in terms of the final value achieved for the M/C bond strength. On the contrary, the Ag and Cu distribution along the brazed interface seem to play the most relevant role in the metal/ceramic joints electrochemical performance.

Study of electrochemical behavior of azoles for AISI 430 stainless steel in H(2)SO(4) 1 mol L(-1)

Corrosion is an undesirable process that occurs in metallic materials. Studied was the effect of inhibiting Benzotriazole (BTAH), Benzimidazole (BZM) and Indole in different concentrations-for the stainless steel (SS) AISI 430 in H(2)SO(4) mol The techniques employed this research were: anodic potenciostatic polarisation, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy The curves of anodic polarisation showed that BTAH, BZM and Indol act as corrosion inhibitors for 430 SS, at concentrations of 1x10(-3) and 5x10(-4) mol L(-1) but do not inhibit corrosion for concentrations equal to or less than 1x10(-4) mol L(-1). The in-crease of the efficiency in relation to the inhibitory substances studied followed this order: Indol

Effect of single and double austenitization treatments on the microstructure and hardness of AISI D2 tool steel

This investigation is concerned with the study of effect of Double Austenitization (DA) and Single Austenitization (SA) heat treatment processes on microstructure and mechanical property of AISI D2type cold worked tool steel. To maximize hardness, tool steels are used in a quenched and tempered condition. This involves heating the material to the austenitizing temperature (~850-1100. °C), quenching at an appropriate rate to form martensite, and tempering to reduce the retained austenite content and induce toughness. The merits of DA treatment isto promote dissolution of carbides at the same time proscribe grain coarsening significantly was attempted in D2 tool steel. The study has found that DA treatment has induced high hardness with insignificant growth in grains. The increase in hardness is attributed to increase in carbon content in matrix due to dissolution of carbides; whereas finer grains due to role of inclusions.