Thermal fatigue of magnesium-base alloy AZ91

Thermal fatigue tests of the magnesium-base alloy AZ91 were carried out under total strain control and out-of-phase-loading conditions in a temperature range between -50 degrees C and +190 degrees C. Specimens produced by a vacuum die casting process were loaded under constant total strain and uniaxial homogeneous stress. To simulate the influence of different mean stresses, experiments were started at different temperature levels, e.g. the lower, mean or upper temperature of the thermal cycle. The thermal fatigue behavior is described by the resulting stress amplitudes, plastic strain amplitudes and mean stresses as a function of the number of thermal loading cycles. Depending on the maximum temperature and the number of loading cycles, cyclic softening as well as cyclic hardening behavior is observed. Due to the complex interaction of deformation, recovery and recrystallization processes and as a consequence of the individual temperature and deformation history, thermal fatigue processes of the material investigated cannot be assessed using results of isothermal experiments alone. The upper temperatures or the resp. temperature amplitudes determine the total fatigue lifetime.