Stress corrosion cracking of aluminum alloys

TLDR: In this article, the results of stress corrosion tests with aluminum alloys that have been obtained to date with fracture mechanics techniques are reviewed. But the present and limited status of theoretical understanding of the stress corrosion cracking is outlined.

Abstract: Stress corrosion cracking of aluminum alloys is reviewed. An extensive failure analysis shows how many service failures occurred in the aerospace industry over a ten year period and what kind of alloys and stresses led to initiation and propagation of stress corrosion cracks which caused these service failures. The paper contains most of the results of stress corrosion tests with aluminum alloys that have been obtained to date with fracture mechanics techniques. Stress corrosion crack growth rate measurements are compared with the results from smooth specimen testing and it is shown that the correlation between the different test results is very satisfactory. The present and limited status of theoretical understanding of stress corrosion cracking is outlined. A major part of the paper is devoted to the results of the latest alloy development. High strength aluminum alloys of dramatically increased stress corrosion resistance are available now. In the near future, stress corrosion resistant alloys of even higher strength might become available. What is still lacking is a detailed understanding of the mechanisms by which stress corrosion cracks initiate and propagate.