Prestrain Influence on Fatigue Crack Propagation in a 304L Stainless Steel

The scope of this study is to investigate the effect of tensile prestrain on crack growth behavior in a 304L stainless steel. Fatigue crack propagation tests were performed on single-edge notched tension (SENT) raw specimens (0% of prestrain) and on prestrained specimens (2% and 10%). On one hand, it is found that the different levels of prestrain exhibit no significant influence on crack propagation in the high range of Stress Intensity Factor (SIF), where there is no detectable crack closure. On the other hand, a clear effect of prestrain on crack growth rate can be observed in the near threshold region where closure is detected. Thus, it can be concluded that the prestrain mainly affects the crack growth rate through its influence on the crack closure.