Author(s)

J. Toribio & A.M. Lancha

Abstract

This paper focuses on the role of crack-tip residual stresses of compressive nature, generated by fatigue loading, in environmentally assisted cracking (EAC) of pre-cracked samples of high strength pearlitic steel subjected to localized anodic dissolution (LAD) and hydrogen assisted cracking (HAG). In both situations, compressive residual stresses improve the EAC behaviour of the steel, by delaying either the metal dissolution or the hydrogen entry, thus increasing the fracture load under aggressive environment. 1 Introduction The fracture mechanics approach to the environmentally assisted cracking (EAC) phenomenon in metals and alloys requires the performance of stress corrosion tests on pre-cracked specimens [1,2] in which a pre-crack must be produced by fatigue, creating compressive residual stresses in the vicinity of the crack tip, generated by strain compatibili

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