Experimental and Finite Element Analysis of Fatigue Crack Growth in Cu–Ni Alloy

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6239-750-7_53How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Fatigue crack growth; Cu–Ni alloy; Compact tension specimen; Paris law; XFEM; Finite element analysis

Abstract

Fatigue crack growth (FCG) is a dominant damage mechanism in metallic components subjected to cyclic loading, particularly in marine and thermal engineering applications. Copper–nickel alloys, especially the 90%Cu–10%Ni composition, are extensively employed due to their excellent corrosion resistance, thermal stability, and mechanical reliability. Despite their widespread use, limited literature exists on the detailed fatigue crack growth behavior of this alloy under controlled loading conditions. In the present study, fatigue crack growth characteristics of a Cu–10Ni alloy were investigated through a combined experimental and numerical approach. Fatigue tests were conducted on Compact Tension (CT) specimens in accordance with ASTM E647 using load-controlled cyclic loading. Crack length evolution was measured optically, and crack growth rates were evaluated as a function of stress intensity factor range (ΔK). The experimental results were analyzed using the Paris law to determine material-specific crack growth constants. A three-dimensional finite element model of the CT specimen was developed in ABAQUS using the extended finite element method (XFEM) to simulate crack propagation without remeshing. Stress intensity factors and crack growth trends obtained from numerical simulations were compared with experimental observations. Good agreement was observed between the predicted and measured values, with deviations within acceptable limits. The results confirm that the Cu–10Ni alloy exhibits stable fatigue crack propagation behavior with a Paris exponent close to three, indicating predictable crack growth in the Paris regime. The study demonstrates that the integration of experimental testing with validated finite element modeling provides a reliable framework for fatigue life assessment of Cu–Ni alloys in engineering applications. [1].

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

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TY  - CONF
AU  - J. Sharana Basavaraja
AU  - M. Vinuth Kumar
AU  - M. G. Patil
AU  - A. R. Anil Chandra
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/31
TI  - Experimental and Finite Element Analysis of Fatigue Crack Growth in Cu–Ni Alloy
BT  - Proceedings of the International Conference on Advanced Design, Manufacturing, and Sustainable Energy Systems (ICADMSES 2026)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 739
EP  - 751
SN  - 2589-4943
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-750-7_53
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6239-750-7_53
ID  - Basavaraja2026
ER  -