In-tutorial Exercise #4 MECH 321 Winter 2024

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Question 1
a) Calculate the growth rate of a surface crack when it reaches a length of 5 x 10-6 m in an acrylic
polymer that is subjected to a stress alternating between -15 and +15 MPa. Let Y= 1.0 and assume
A=2.061x10-5 and m=3. [2 Marks]

b) The largest surface cracks initially detected by nondestructive testing are 0.001 mm in length.
If the critical fracture toughness of the polymer is 2 MPa √𝑚𝑚, calculate the number of cycles
required before failure occurs. [2 Marks]

c) Briefly explain the difference between steel and aluminum in terms of fatigue behavior. [1
Mark]
In-tutorial Exercise #4 MECH 321 Winter 2024

Question 2 [5 marks]
A Larson-Miller plot for some hypothetical metal alloy is shown in the following figure. The value
of parameter C is unknown. However, it is known that at a stress level of 125 MPa and at 950 K,
rupture occurs at 1000 hr. On this basis, calculate the rupture lifetime at a stress level of 200 MPa
and 800 K.