Effect of Intermetallics on the Low Cyclic Fatigue Crack Growth Behavior of a Heavily Alloyed Al-Si Piston Alloy

Abstract

This paper focuses on a typical automotive piston material to characterize its fractographic appearance after low cyclic fatigue test. The fatigue fracture of this heavily alloyed Al-Si alloy takes place in a brittle manner. The crack nucleated from a large intermetallic colony close to the specimen surface. When the crack encountered the intermetallics, it might progress along the interface among the intermetallics or the interface between the intermetallics and the eutectic. The debonded Al-Si eutectic region and intermetallics provided a weak material path for the crack propagation. A fatigue fracture mechanism in the heavily alloyed Al-Si alloy is elucidated.