Fatigue Induced Alteration of the Superficial Strength Properties of 2024 Aluminum Alloy

Aircraft aluminum alloy 2024 T3 specimens have been subjected to constant amplitude fatigue loading at R =0.1. During fatigue, an appreciable increase of the surface hardness of the material at the meso-scale can be observed and captured by means of nanoindentations. Surface hardness increases with increasing fatigue stress amplitude and advancing number of applied fatigue cycles. Observed increase of specimen surface hardening degree during fatigue causes an evolution of superficial mechanical strength properties of the alloy. Stress-strain curves associated with the evoluting superficial mechanical properties are derived, employing a developed finite element method (FEM)-supported evaluation procedure of nanoindentation experimental results.