INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ROORKEE

Introduction to Materials Science:

Introduction
(MTN-106)

Fatigue
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Material Fatigue
Material fatigue is a phenomenon where structures fail
when subjected to a cyclic load. This type of structural
damage occurs even when the experienced stress range is
far below the static material strength. Fatigue is the most
common source behind failures of mechanical structures.

Fatigue as a name for the phenomenon based on

the notion of a material becoming “tired”, i.e.
failing at less than its nominal strength.

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Fatigue failure

Fatigue failures occur due to cyclic loading at

stresses below a material’s yield strength

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Fatigue fracture

the crack length

exceeds a critical value
at the applied stress.

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Cyclic stresses

Reversed stress cycle

Random stress cyclealternates from a
the stress
maximum tensile stress to a
maximum compressive
stress of equal magnitude

Repeated stress cycle

Maximum and minimum
stresses are asymmetrical
relative to the zero stress
level; mean stress m, range
of stress r , and stress
amplitude a are indicated.

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Parameters

mean stress

range of stress

stress amplitude

stress ratio R

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Fatigue testing apparatus

A schematic diagram of a rotating-bending test apparatus,

commonly used for fatigue testing is shown here. The
compression and tensile stresses are imposed on the specimen
as it is simultaneously bent and rotated. Tests are also frequently
conducted using an alternating uniaxial tension–compression
stress cycle.

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S-N Curves
• S-N [stress-number of cycles to failure] curve defines number
of cycles-to-failure for given cyclic stress.

• Plot stress versus the log(number of cycles to failure), log(Nf).

There is a limiting stress level,

called the fatigue limit (also
sometimes the endurance
limit), below which fatigue
failure will not occur.

some ferrous (iron base)

and titanium alloys
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Most nonferrous alloys (e.g., aluminum, copper, magnesium) do
not have a fatigue limit, in that the S–N curve continues its
downward trend at increasingly greater N values.

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Fatigue failure
• First, a tiny crack initiates or nucleates often at a time well after loading
begins. Normally, nucleation sites are located at or near the surface,
where the stress is at a maximum, and include surface defects such as
scratches or pits, sharp corners due to poor design or manufacture,
inclusions, grain boundaries, or dislocation concentrations.

• Next, the crack gradually propagates as the load continues to cycle.

• Finally, a sudden fracture of the material occurs when the remaining

cross-section of the material is too small to support the applied load.
Thus, components fail by fatigue because even though the overall
applied stress may remain below the yield stress, at a local length
scale, the stress intensity exceeds the tensile strength.

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 Fatigue fracture surfaces

Fracture surface of a rotating steel shaft Transmission electron fractograph

that experienced fatigue failure. showing fatigue striations in aluminum.
Beachmark ridges are visible in the
photograph.
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Fatigue failure surface. A
crack formed at the top edge.
The smooth region also near
the top corresponds to the
area over which the crack
propagated slowly. Rapid
failure occurred over the
area having a dull and
fibrous texture (the largest
area).

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Factors affecting fatigue life
Mean Stress
Surface Effects

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Surface Treatments

Shot peening Case hardening

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