Effect of pitting corrosion on fatigue performance of shot-peened aluminium alloy 7075-T651

Pitting corrosion has a major influence on aging of structural elements made of high-strength aluminium alloys as corrosion pits lead to earlier fatigue crack initiation under tensile dynamic loading. A cause of fatigue crack initiation in a corrosive medium is a stress concentration at a corroded area. In order to improve material resistance to corrosion fatigue it is necessary to reduce pit-tip stresses. To eliminate or reduce pit stresses, cold surface hardening by shot peening was proposed. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of surface hardening by shot peening on electrochemical stability and corrosion fatigue properties of high-strength aluminium alloy 7075-T651 in the corrosive environment of a chloride solution. The results obtained show a favourable influence of shot-peening treatment on corrosion fatigue properties. Induced compressive residual stresses in the surface layer retard the initiation of fatigue cracks, and so the fatigue life improvement of structural elements made of high-strength aluminium alloys was observed.