Fatigue and fracture mechanics

A continued use and the application of dynamic or static forces cause stress and damage to components that can lead to their failure. Knowing the characteristics of materials and being able to predict their behavior in the face of these stimuli provides key information for the process of designing and manufacturing materials, equipment, and structures.

AZTERLAN’s fracture and fatigue tests allow characterizing the creation and growth of cracks (determination of the moment of their appearance and their evolution) in materials and components, as well as predicting their fatigue life by observing the condition of variable and repeated stresses when causing sudden breaks, without prior permanent deformation.

ENAC accreditation.
Deadlines adjusted to the needs of the industry.
Confidentiality guarantee.
Independent laboratory, with more than 40 years of experience in the sectot.
Top-tier technological capabilities.

Standards of reference

ASTM E399, ASTM E1820, BS 7448-1:1991, BS 7448-2:1997, ASTM E1820, ISO 12135, UNE-EN ISO 15653.

Testing conditions

Room temperature, high temperature, low temperature.

Industrial sectors

Transport: Automotive, rail, naval, aerospace
Energy generation and transportation: Wind, Solar, Oil&Gas, Combined Cycle, Nuclear
Civil works: Bridges, Viaducts, Structural elements
Chemical industry
Equipment goods
Metallic transformation

Mechanical characterization tests carried out at room temperature, high temperature or low temperature, according to international standards and customer specifications.

These are the main values offered by these tests:

Mechanical Properties at Different Temperatures

Determination of the Elastic Limit and Young’s Modulus at temperatures between -70ºC and +1000ºC.

CTOD, Crack Tip Opening Displacement

Fracture toughness parameter that is mainly determined in ductile materials. It is the size of the opening of the crack front in the direction normal to the plane generated by fatigue.

Kic, Critical Stress Intensity Factor in Mode I

Magnitude of fracture toughness in linear elastic regime. It is the resistance of a material to the extension of the crack when plane deformation predominates at its end. It is mostly used for brittle materials.

JIC and the Integral J

Characterization of the local stress and strain field in the area around the crack front. Tenacity value determined in elasto-plastic regime.

Crack growth

Characterization of the advance of a crack in a previously cracked material. Determination of the Paris equation, constants C and m, and the voltage intensity threshold Δkth.

S – N curves

Determination of fatigue curves of materials, their fatigue life limit, and the estimation of useful life cycles of a component.