Experimental study on uniaxial ratchetting-fatigue interaction of extruded AZ31 magnesium alloy with different plastic deformation mechanisms

Abstract The uniaxial ratchetting-fatigue interaction of extruded AZ31 magnesium (Mg) alloy is investigated by uniaxial stress-controlled cyclic tests at room temperature and with addressing the roles of different plastic deformation mechanisms. Different stress levels are prescribed to reflect the cyclic plasticity of the alloy controlled by diverse deformation mechanisms (i.e., dislocation slipping, deformation twinning and detwinning ones), and then the influences of stress level and stress rate on the ratchetting and fatigue life are discussed. The experimental results demonstrate that different evolution characteristics of whole-life ratchetting and fatigue life presented during cyclic tests with various mean stresses, stress amplitudes and stress rates are determined by the dominated plastic deformation mechanisms. It's worth noting that the ratchetting can occur in the compressive direction even in the cyclic tests with a positive (tensile) mean stress, and the fatigue life increases first and then decreases with the increase of mean stress on account of the interaction between dislocation slipping and twinning/detwinning mechanisms. Comparing the fatigue lives obtained in the asymmetric stress-controlled and symmetrical strain-controlled cycle tests, it is seen that the ratchetting deformation causes an additional damage, and then leads to a shortening of fatigue life.