Nonlinear damage analysis: Postulate and evaluation

The objective of this program is to assess the viability of a damage postulate which asserts that the fatigue resistance curve of a metal is history dependent due to inelastic action. The study focusses on OFE copper because this simple model material accentuates the inelastic action central to the damage postulate. Data relevant to damage evolution and crack initiation are developed via a study of surface topography. The effects of surface layer residual stresses are explored via comparative testing as were the effects in initial prestraining. The results of the study very clearly show the deformation history dependence of the fatigue resistance of OFE copper. Furthermore the concept of deformation history dependence is shown to qualitatively explain the fatigue resistance of all histories considered. Likewise quantitative predictions for block cycle histories are found to accurately track the observed results. In this respect the assertion that damage per cycle for a given level of the damage parameter is deformation history dependent appears to be physically justified.