New high-strength aluminum alloy promises longer-lasting and safer products!
A new type of strong and tough aluminum alloy called 211Z was tested for its fatigue properties. The alloy showed high tensile strength and good plasticity, leading to a high fatigue strength of 130 MPa. The fatigue crack initiation was found to be mainly in regions with defects on the surface, with crack growth showing decreasing striation width with increasing stress. The final fracture was ductile in nature, with shear lips and dimples observed. Overall, the 211Z casting aluminum alloy demonstrated good fatigue properties due to its combination of strength and plasticity.