Nonlocalized fatigue damage of metals and alloys. Part 1. Inelasticity, investigation methods, and results

Analysis of data presented in the literature and results of unique studies revealed that nonlocalized fatigue damage of metals and alloys, which manifests itself in the initiation and propagation of a large number of microcracks distributed arbitrarily in the bulk of the material, can be considered with the use of the characteristics of inelastic deformation such as inelastic strain and inelastic strain energy per cycle. The author studied the nature of the material inelasticity and methods of its investigation. Analysis has been made of the hysteresis loop shape, width, and area, as well as of the main regularities of inelastic deformation of metals and alloys. [Materials include: carbon steels, alloy steels, stainless steels, Al-alloys, Cu-alloys, Ni-alloys, Ti-alloys, Be].