Emilie CARBONNELLE-REZIG

PhD subject: Influence of corrosion damage on the initiation of fatigue cracks in high strength stainless steels

The research aims to supply a model of the pocess of corrosion and the initial stage of fatigue to estabish the critical flaw size to initiate a fatigue crack. This critical flaw size will be used as a criterion for selecting the preferred material among a number of high strength stainless steels.

Achievements:
- development of an analytical model for fatigue crack initiating from corrosion flaw
- production of the crack growth rate curve in air and in environment of the considered material
- assessment by finite element analysis (Abaqus) of the stress concentration factor of different corrosion flaws
- development of a FEA for a crack propagating from a single-edge notch to establish the geometrical factor of a non-standard specimen using J-integral for different crack sizes
- fracture surface analysis using optical, scanning electron and confocal scanning laser microscopes
- design of crevice former and larger scale fatigue specimens using CATIA V5
- pitting corrosion, crevice corrosion and fatigue testing