Improved Fatigue Resistance of 7050 Thick Plate Aluminum Through Minimization of Microporosity

摘要

This paper illustrates the substantial fatigue life improvements that have been achieved with 7050 heavy gauge plate over the past two decades. The load control fatigue resistance of 7050-T7451 thick plate is shown to decrease with increasing plate thickness at both the plate quarter-thickness (T/4) and mid-thickness (T/2). These reductions in fatigue resistance are shown to be most substantial at the plate mid-thickness, and they are shown to be directly related to the maximum size of remaining micropores.