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Fractography of Stress Corrosion Cracking of Mg-Al Alloys

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Abstract

Mechanisms for the stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of Mg-Al alloys have been investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the fracture surfaces, for the two-phase alloy AZ91 and the single-phase alloys AZ31 and AM30 in distilled water. The mechanism for crack initiation in AZ31 and AM30 involves localized dissolution. The mechanisms for crack propagation in AZ31 and AM30 involve microvoid coalescence and cleavage, respectively. The mechanism for crack initiation in AZ91 is unclear, but may involve the fracture of β particles near the surface. The mechanism for crack propagation at moderate strain rates in AZ91 is similar to that in AZ31, with β particles acting as sources of H for mobile dislocations. The fracture surface for AZ91 tested at the strain rate 3 × 10−8 s−1 was similar to that for specimens precharged in gaseous H2. This fracture surface is the result of (1) the nucleation and growth of MgH2 particles, (2) sudden fracture through the MgH2 particles at some critical stress, and (3) decomposition of the MgH2 particles after fracture.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the General Motors Technical Center, the Australian Research Council (ARC), and the Australian Research Network for Advanced Materials (ARNAM) for research support. Two of the authors (NW and AA) thank GKSS–Forschungszentrum Geesthacht GmbH for allowing them to visit between 2005 and 2007. The authors also thank V. Heitmann, U. Burmeister, and V. Kree, GKSS, for their assistance with experiments, fractography, and metallography.

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Author notes

  1. Nicholas Winzer (PhD Candidate, Postdoctoral Research Fellow)

    Present address: Joining Technology, Bundesanstalt für Material Forschung und-prüfung, D-12200, Berlin, Germany

  2. G. Song

    Present address: GM Technical Center, Warren, MI, 98093, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Materials Engineering Department, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, Australia

    Nicholas Winzer (PhD Candidate, Postdoctoral Research Fellow) & A. Atrens (Head of Materials Engineering)

  2. Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (EMPA), Uberlandstrasse 129, CH-8600, Dubendorf, Switzerland

    A. Atrens (Head of Materials Engineering)

  3. Institute for Materials Research, GKSS–Forschungszentrum Geesthacht GmbH, D-21502, Geesthacht, Germany

    W. Dietzel (Head of Corrosion Research Group) & K.U. Kainer (Head of Institute for Materials Research)

  4. CAST Cooperative Research Centre, Materials Engineering Department, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, Australia

    G. Song

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Correspondence to Nicholas Winzer.

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Manuscript submitted September 30, 2007.

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Winzer, N., Atrens, A., Dietzel, W. et al. Fractography of Stress Corrosion Cracking of Mg-Al Alloys. Metall Mater Trans A 39, 1157–1173 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-008-9475-8

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