Effect of Frequency on Fatigue Crack Propagation Behavior of the Aluminum Alloy 6013 in Corrosive Environment

The influence of frequency and waveform on the fatigue crack growth behavior of the aluminum-magnesium-silicon alloy 6013 has been studied at room temperature in an aqueous, 3.5 percent NaCl solution and in vacuum. The results in the aggressive environment exhibited pronounced dependences on loading frequency and waveform, which are discussed on the basis of time-dependent processes of hydrogen embrittlement and repassivation in conjunction with the Delta-K dependent formation of bare metal at the crack tip. (Author)