Fracture surfaces of 7075-T6 specimens tested in rotating bending fatigue tests and evaluation of the centrifugal force contribution

7075-T6 is a common high strength-to-mass ratio aluminum alloy. Its application in corrosive media under cyclic loading has to be more deeply investigated. Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) coatings could improve the tribological properties of the surface. The here described R=-1 rotating bending tests on uncoated and PVD Diamond Like Carbon (DLC) coated specimens in air environment aim at evaluating the influence of the coating deposition on the fatigue strength of the alloy. Different fracture surfaces morphologies were detected and for this reason the stresses induced by the rotation of the specimens (without bending) were calculated by means of finite element analysis.