2. Parameters

2.1 Low-cycle fatigue

Low-cycle fatigue depends on a number of parameters related to the thermomechanical loading applied. A typical thermomechanical loading cycle passes through four phases (figure 2 ):

• transition from cold to hot state, of duration t ₁ ;

• maintenance in a warm state, at temperature T ₂ , and for a duration t ₂ ;

• transition from hot to cold state, of duration t ₃ ;...