Published online by Cambridge University Press: 04 July 2016
The notched fatigue strength of the aluminium alloy HE 15, under stress conditions similar to those occurring in aircraft structures, is greater when the material is naturally aged than when it is fully heat-treated. This is attributed to the lower proof stress of the naturally aged material, which enables the high stresses in regions of stress concentration to relax more readily. However, no further improvement was obtained by re-solution-treating the alloy to reduce the proof stress further.