04.1 - Aerospace Grade Materials, Structural Analysis, Fatigue and Damage Tolerance

NEW INSIGHTS INTO AA7085 ENVIRONMENTALLY ASSISTED CRACKING THROUGH HIGH RESOLUTION FRACTOGRAPHY

I. Field¹, J. Rogers, RMIT, Australia; N. Tugwell¹; ¹DSTG, Australia

Environmentally assisted cracking (EAC) in the new generation aluminium alloy 7085 has recently become a critical area of research in aircraft sustainment due to its inclusion in modern aircraft structures and the recent formalisation of its EAC susceptibility by EASA. This work provides a detailed analysis of coupon and fleet EAC cracks, focusing on key features that reveal how they grow.

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DOI: 10.71945/icas2026_0234