Vibration fracture resistance of 5052H112 aluminum alloy processed by cold rolling and friction stirring

Hot-rolled Al–3Mg alloy processed by various cold-rolled reductions exhibited excellent vibration fracture resistance, however subsequent friction stirring did not endow better vibration fracture resistance than cold-rolled samples in spite of possessing microstructural refinement and homogenization. The D–N curve under a constant initial deflection amplitude (6.5 mm) also showed that the vibration fracture resistance of cold-rolled specimens increased as a result of the slower crack propagation rate. All samples used in this investigation showed a work hardening feature from the initial stage of the D–N curve, and the deflection amplitude tended to increase as the number of vibration cycles increased. During this ascending stage, slip band cracking and strain hardening in the vicinity of the main crack could be recognized. The D–N curve feature of the cold-rolled samples depicted a longer plateau region while the deflection amplitude was at its maximum. It is suggested that the dislocation tangles introduced by cold rolling can strengthen the matrix. As a result, the deflection amplitude drops could be associated with increasing the dislocation tangles due to prior cold rolling while the main crack achieved a critical crack length.