Dynamic Deformation with Static Load

Abstract

We conduct a series of tensile analyses on metal-plate specimens to investigate the relation between the fatigue level and the material’s response to external loads. We use Electronic Speckle-Pattern Interferometery (ESPI) to measures the in-plane displacement, and an acoustic transducer to assess the elastic modulus of the specimen via acoustic velocity measurement at various stress levels. We apply a tensile load at a constant pulling rate up to a certain stress level substantially lower than the yield stress, and analyze the strain field obtained with the ESPI setup at each time step. At the same time, we measure the acoustic velocity at various tensile stress levels. We have found repeatedly in the experiment on an aluminum-alloy specimen that (a) the strain field changes over several seconds after the tensile machine stops pulling, and (b) the acoustic velocity at the same point of the specimen considerably varies from measurement to measurement at the same stress level. These observations indicate that the specimen is deformed even if the crosshead of the tensile machine is stationary. This mysterious phenomenon is consistent with the observation made by Pappalettera et al. in their fatigue analysis that the acoustic emissions, which normally stops when the fatigue reaches a certain level, resumes if the specimen is dismounted from the test machine and remounted for continuation of the test.