Synchrotron imaging characterization and numerical simulation of short fatigue crack propagation in polycrystals
Résumé
Short fatigue crack propagation in polycrystalline materials is strongly influenced by microstructural features, in particular grain orientation and grain (and phase) boundaries.To investigate this three-dimensional problem, Synchrotron 3D imaging techniques are combined. We use diffraction contrast tomography in order to reconstruct the polycrystalline microstructure of a notched Titanium alloy sample. The crack propagation history is monitored in-situ by repeated phase contrast tomography acquisitions.Crystal plasticity finite element computations are carried on the real microstructure in an attempt to compare numerically simulated against experimentally observed crack propagation behavior.