Strain-cycling fatigue behavior of ten structural metals tested in liquid helium (4 K), in liquid nitrogen (78 K), and in ambient air (300 K)

Strain-cycling fatigue behavior of 10 different structural alloys and metals was investigated in liquid helium (4 K), in liquid nitrogen (78 K), and in ambient air (300 K). At high cyclic lives, fatigue resistance increased with decreasing temperature for all the materials investigated. At low cyclic lives, fatigue resistance generally decreased with decreasing temperature for the materials investigated. Only for Inconel 718 did fatigue resistance increase with decreasing temperature over the entire life range investigated. Comparison of the experimental fatigue behavior with that predicted by the Manson method of universal slopes showed that the fatigue behavior of these materials can be predicted for cryogenic temperatures by using material tensile properties obtained at those same temperatures.