Abstract
With regard to corrosion fatigue crack initiation life (Nc), it has been treated ambiguously for the member which doesn't have stress concentration area. In this research, in order to clarify the corrosion fatigue crack initiation life (Nc), corrosion fatigue tests were carried out. Reasonable and universal corrosion fatigue crack initiation life (Nc) was defined and corrosion fatigue crack initiation/propagation model was suggested also. As the fatigue crack which emanates from the pit is usually small, accordingly it is treated as a small crack. In addition, the observation of the corrosion fatigue fracture surfaces using SEM was conducted. And the fracture mechanics analysis using an intrinsic crack model was conducted for the treatment of the small crack. Finally, the followings were obtained. When there is no clear stress concentration point which seems to fall into a corrosion fatigue crack initiation life, the significance of the definition and suggestion of the moment of the reasonable and universal corrosion fatigue crack initiation life (Nc), at which the fatigue crack propagation rate becomes faster than the corrosion pit growth rate so that the fatigue crack initiates from the pit and propagates in earnest, has been clarified.
