Review of Pit Nucleation, Growth and Pitting Corrosion Fatigue Mechanisms

This paper presents a review of the state of the art developments in the pitting corrosion fatigue of aircraft structural materials. Mechanisms that govern the nucleation and growth of pitting and corrosion fatigue (CF) are briefly addressed. Some of the developments made in the author's laboratories in proposing the fretting induced pit nucleation and growth mechanisms, analysis of the hidden corrosion constituents in fuselage joints and pitting corrosion fatigue crack growth (PCFCG) model are elucidated. An epistemology of the topic is presented which will be of assistance to the community working in this area.