The Theory of Critical Distances to estimate the static strength of notched samples of Al6082 loaded in combined tension and torsion. Part I: Material cracking behaviour

The present paper is the first of a two-part series reporting an experimental and theoretical study of the fracture of circumferentially notched samples of a commercial aluminium alloy, i.e. Al6082, subjected to tension, torsion and mixed tension/torsion loading. The overall aim of the work was to investigate the use of a particular method of failure prediction, known as the Theory of Critical Distances. This first part reports the experimental data – load–deflection curves and observed material failure modes – and discusses the consequences of these findings for the development of the theory, which is covered in the second part. It was observed that relatively blunt notches loaded in tension failed by a conventional ductile fracture mode similar to plain (unnotched) specimens. However, in tensile specimens containing sharp notches, failure occurred via the initiation, stable propagation and, finally, unstable propagation, of circumferential ring cracks. Under torsional loading, and independent of the notch root radius, static failures of the tested samples always occurred by the formation and stable propagation of ring cracks. Under mixed-mode loading there was a gradual transition between the ductile and brittle modes and between stable and unstable cracking. For all types of loading, it was observed that crack initiation always coincided with peak loading conditions, and that cracks invariably grew on the plane perpendicular to the specimen’s longitudinal axis.