On the phase angle role in the shear response of ZK60 Mg alloys under multiaxial fatigue

Abstract

Proportional and non-proportional multiaxial fatigue tests are conducted on the closed-die forged ZK60 extrusion. The shear strain amplitude was kept constant at 0.5% for all the tests, while two different axial strain amplitudes of 0.4% and 0.7% were considered. At the higher strain amplitude (0.7%) significant difference was observed between the torque amplitudes of proportional and non-proportional tests, whereas the axial load amplitude responses remained the same regardless of the phase angle shifts. It is likely that as the phase angle changes from 0-90, the twin volume fraction at the peak shear strain decreases resulting in higher torque responses. On the other hand, at the lower strain amplitude, i.e. 0.4%, where twinning is not active, phase angle does not show any effect on the shear response. An energy-based fatigue model is employed that effectively explains the different damage contributions by the axial and torsional loadings at different strain amplitudes, and accurately predicts the proportional and non-proportional multiaxial fatigue lives.