Size effects in fatigue crack growth in confined volumes: A microbending case study on nanocrystalline nickel

Mechanical size effects are a well known phenomenon when the sample volume is reduced or the characteristic length of the microstructure is changed. While size effects in micropillar compression (smaller is stronger) or due to grain refinement (Hall-Petch) are well understood, this is less so in fracture mechanics. Given this lack of knowledge, the main question addressed in this work is: What happens to the fatigue crack growth properties when extrinsic size effects play a role? To answer this question, nanocrystalline nickel cantilevers, ranging in width from 5 to [Formula presented], were subjected to fatigue crack growth. The crack growth rates and stress intensity factors were calculated and the Paris exponent in the stable crack growth regime was determined. It was found that the results scatter more strongly for the smaller cantilevers compared to the larger cantilevers. Results are interpreted in terms of plastic zone size and ligament size which are found to be critical for small cantilevers.