In situ observation of interfacial fatigue crack growth in diffusion bonded joints of austenitic stainless steel

Micro-fatigue tests were performed on 316LSS vacuum diffusion bonded joints to investigate the interfacial fatigue crack growth behavior with discrete micro-voids located ahead of a pre-existing crack tip. In situ observation of the interfacial fatigue crack propagation and micro-voids evolution was carried out during the whole fatigue testing. SEM of the fracture surface was analyzed. The results showed that the interface failure mechanism of similar diffusion bonded joints is different from that of dissimilar materials joints. A brittle mode is observed in the main crack growth. And the ridge interface formed in diffusion bonded joints due to surface roughness can be a resistance to the crack growth. The location of the fatigue crack initiation and the crack propagation direction derived from SEM observation of the fracture surface of the specimen are in consistent with those obtained from the in situ observation by using the optical microscope.