The Science and Engineering of Materials:

Ch 7 Exercise

Skills Learned: Fracture mechanics, Fatigue, and Creep behavior

Problem:
A certain material is subject to a stress alternating at 200 revolutions per minute between
300 MPa and 775MPa (both tension). Calculate the growth rate of a surface crack
initially 0.1 mm when it reaches a length of 0.5 mm in both m/cycle and m/s. Assume
that f = 1.0, n = 3.5, and A = 7.56 x 10-12.

Solution:
Using the basic search type in crack growth rate formula then click on Formulas
for Stress, Strain, and Structural Matrices (2nd Edition) in the search results. Then click
on the text link next to index and click the link for page 340.

Here we find a formula for finding the crack growth rate:

da
= AK n
dN
Where N is the number of cycles leading to the change in length of the crack, a is
the length of the crack, A and n are constants depending on the material, and K is the
range of stress intensity for the cycle. We first want to find the number of cycles
associated with this change so we must manipulate this equation to equal N:

da
= dN
n
AK
Plugging in the expression for K:

K = a
Now integrating this expression yields:

2 (a c )
(a i )
N=
(2 n )Af n n n 2
(2 n ) / 2

(2 n ) / 2

Where ac is the final crack length, ai is the initial crack length, are the range of
stresses, and other constants have already been defined.
Since we have all of the essential constants and values to satisfy this equation
(using unit converter where necessary), we can proceed to solve for N, the number of
cycles to cause this change in crack length:

[(

)(

2 3 .5 ) / 2

)(

2 3 .5 ) / 2

2 5 x10 4
1x10 4
N=
(2 3.5) 7.56 x10 12 (1)3.5 (475)3.5 3.5 2

N = 19009 .439 cycles

We know that the crack is changing a length of 0.4 mm or 1x10-4 m. Dividing this
number by the number of cycles yields:

1x10 4 m
=
19909.439cycles

5.26x10-9 m/cycle

Now we must focus on finding the number of seconds in which this change in crack
length occurs. To do this we can use the revolutions (or cycles) per minute value given to
us in the question:

m 200cycles 1 min
5.26 x10 9

=
cycle
1
min
60
sec
onds

1.75x10-8 m/s