Advanced Materials Engineering - Mechanical Failure

These flashcards cover key concepts and terminology related to mechanical failure in materials engineering, focusing on fracture, fatigue, and creep.

Fracture

Separation of a body into two or more pieces due to stress at temperatures below the melting point.

Ductile Fracture

Fracture characterized by extensive plastic deformation ahead of the crack, resists further extension unless applied stress is increased.

Brittle Fracture

Fracture with little plastic deformation; cracks propagate rapidly without increase in applied stress.

Fatigue

Failure under cyclic stress where the material can fail even if the maximum stress is less than the material's critical stress.

Creep

Time-dependent deformation of materials under constant stress, usually occurring at high temperatures.

Ductile-to-Brittle Transition Temperature (DBTT)

The temperature below which a material behaves in a brittle manner rather than a ductile one.

Impact Energy

Energy absorbed by a material during fracture when it is subjected to a sudden load.

Stress Concentration Factor (K)

A measure of the increased stress intensity at a flaw or discontinuity in a material compared to the nominal stress.

Fracture Toughness (KIc)

A property that describes a material's ability to resist crack propagation; the critical stress required for crack growth.

Failure Probability Curves

Graphs demonstrating the likelihood of failure based on different stress levels and cycles to failure.