Fatigue crack propagation mechanisms in C70250 and CuCrZr copper alloys

Abstract A previous study concerning the characterization of CuNiSi (C70250) and CuCrZr alloys showed very interesting characteristics of toughness evaluated with tensile tests and preliminary tests on Charpy specimens. These alloys could have interesting applications such as devices used for energy production, particle physics and aerospace. These alloys are used in the ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) project, an international program of great interest. For this reason, it seems important to characterize the mechanical properties of these alloys. In particular, fatigue crack propagation rate (da/dn vs ΔK) measurements were performed.