Amazing epsilon-shaped trend for fretting fatigue characteristics in AM60 magnesium alloy under stress-controlled cyclic conditions at bending loads with zero mean stress

In the present article, fatigue properties (pure and fretting) of magnesium alloys (AM60) under cyclic bending loading were compared. For this objective, a rotary fatigue testing device was utilized with a fretting module on standard cylindrical samples under bending loads with zero means stress. The fretting fatigue condition decreased fatigue lifetime compared with pure fatigue but in an amazing Epsilon-shaped trend. Comparatively speaking to the state of pure fatigue, the fatigue lifetime of the fretting fatigue condition reduced by 91.0% and 44.8%, respectively, between the lowest level of stress (80 MPa) and the greatest level of stress (120 MPa). To study the fracture behavior and the fractography analysis, field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) was utilized. In general, since both quasi-cleavage and cleavage were seen; therefore, the fracture behavior for all samples was brittle. In both test conditions (fretting fatigue and pure fatigue), at higher stress levels, the average crack length was higher than at low-stress levels. In addition, the number of cracks (in high- and low-stress levels) was observed to be less in fretting fatigue conditions than in pure fatigue conditions, but the average crack length in fretting fatigue conditions in high-stress levels and low-stress levels was 212.82% and 259.47% higher than the average crack length under the pure fatigue condition, respectively.