R. A. Bayles, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC
The spiral notch torsion test (SNTT) has been developed for fracture toughness testing by Wang and Liu. Bayles, et al have adapted this technique to study stress-corrosion cracking (SCC). The spiral notch produces pure Mode I opening of the notch during pure torsion loading. The notch is usually fatigue precracked in pure torsion loading. The advantage of SNTT is that it allows the testing of small specimens without the loss of plane-strain constraint usually observed in small specimens of moderate strength materials. Predominantly plane strain conditions are needed for a worst-case assessment of fracture toughness and SCC. Fatigue-precracked 7075-T6 and 7075 RRA aluminum alloy SNTT specimens were individually tested in a specially-designed test machine which applies torsion by way of a moment arm. KIC (air) or KISCC (salt water) were then calculated using a finite element analysis of the crack depth, the applied torque, and the crack mouth opening prior to crack extension. This paper describes a new method for determining stress-corrosion cracking behavior with plane-strain constraint using small specimens. It is useful when the material is limited or the product form is small (fastener stock), stress, corrosion, cracking, saltwater, aluminum, spiral, notch, torsion.