Mechanism analysis of thickness effect on mixed mode I/II fracture of LC4-CS aluminum alloy

Mixed mode I/II fracture experiments of LC4-CS aluminum alloy were conducted by using tension-shear specimens with thicknesses of 2, 4, 8 and 14 mm. Fracture mechanisms of thickness effect on mixed mode I/II fracture were first examined from fracture surface morphology to correlate with the macroscopic fracture behavior and stress state. It is found that specimen thickness has a strong influence on mixed mode fracture. As thickness varies from thin to thick, the macroscopic fracture surfaces appear the characteristics of plane stress state (2 mm, 4 mm thick specimen), three-dimensional stress state (8 mm thick specimens), and plane strain state (14 mm thick specimens), respectively. The specimens of all kinds of thicknesses are typical of tensile type failure under mode I loading condition and shear type failure under mode II loading condition. Two distinct features coexist on the fracture surfaces under mixed mode loading conditions, and the corresponding proportion varies with loading mixity. Void-growth processes are the failure mechanism in both predominately tensile-and shear-type fractures. The size and depth of dimples on the fracture surface vary greatly with thickness. Therefore, it is extraordinary necessary to take into account the thickness effect when a mixed mode fracture criterion is being established.