Guest Editorial for Special Issue on Strain-Controlled TMF

Many high-temperature components in the aerospace, power and automotive engineering sectors are subject to cyclic stresses induced by temperature gradients and mechanical loading. Thermo-mechanical fatigue (TMF) testing provides a powerful means to assess the synergistic effects of combined thermal and mechanical loads experienced by those components. TMF data can then be used for the appropriate materials choice, engineering design, and the lifetime prediction of the components. TMF testing, however, is not only of interest to designers and engineers, but also represents a challenging field of research for materials scientists and physicists interested in the microstructural aspects of TMF damage. Noting that TMF is a complex test technique that requires higher skills than traditional mechanical testing, reliable TMF material property data need to be acquired using agreed and reproducible testing conditions. While a new ISO Standard for strain-controlled TMF testing is under preparation, the European Commission has funded within the 5th Framework Program a project entitled ¿¿Thermo-mechanical Fatigue ¿ The route to standardization¿¿ (acronym: TMF-Standard) with a view to improving the reproducibility and repeatability of data generated by an increasing number of laboratories carrying out straincontrolledTMF tests in Europe. This project, which has involved some 20 partners1 from various universities, together with public and industrial research institutions, has contributed to providing a well-established scientific basis for TMF testing and to producing a European consensus of current testing practice. Dissemination of the project results was achieved by means of a dedicated conference on High Temperature Thermo-mechanical Fatigue: Testing Methodology, Interpretation of Data, and Applications, which was held at the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) in Berlin on 22/23 September 2005. This conference, which was organized under the auspices of the High Temperature Mechanical Testing Committee of the European Structural Integrity Society [ESIS TC11], attracted more than 60 engineers, scientists and technical staff of research institutes and industry with an interest in the methods of measurement of TMF material property data at high temperatures. During the conference findings of the TMF-Standard research project, which resulted in a European Code of Practice for TMF Testing [1] have been reported. More generally, TMF test methodologies and data interpretation as well as current applications of TMF testing have been presented. From the total of 36 presentations given at the conference, 26 full-size papers have originated which are published in the present Special Issue of International Journal of Fatigue. Many people have contributed to the success of that event. First of all the guest editors wish to express their sincere gratitude to all the conference delegates and the contributing authors. Thanks are also due to the manuscript reviewers for making this special issue possible. The publication of the reviewed papers in this journal is expected to contribute to a wide dissemination of the results presented at the conference. Finally, special thanks are due to the local organization team at BAM for their invaluable efforts in preparing and running the event, and for their assistance in editing these proceedings.

HAEHNER Peter; 

2008-01-25

ELSEVIER SCI LTD

JRC40878

0142-1123,   

https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC40878,   

10.1016/j.ijfatigue.2007.03.002,