Fatigue life of ablation-cast 6061-T6 components

The fatigue life of 6061-T6 alloy, normally used in its wrought form, was investigated in this study in cast form from parts produced by the new ablation casting process. All specimens were excised from military castings. Unidirectional tensile test results yielded elongation values comparable to forgings and extrusions. A total of 39 fatigue specimens were tested by the rotating cantilever beam technique at five maximum stress levels. Moreover nine specimens excised from a forging were also tested for comparison. Results revealed that the fatigue life of ablation-cast 6061-T6 (i) follows a three-parameter Weibull distribution, and (ii) is comparable to data from the 6061 forging and is superior to conventionally cast Al-7% Si-Mg alloy castings published in the literature. Analysis of the fracture surfaces of ablation-cast 6061-T6 via scanning electron microscopy showed the existence of fracture surface facets and multiple cracks propagating in different directions.