Certain material properties of 5083-0 aluminum alloy which would be of interest to designers of liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankage are presented and discussed. Fatigue crack growth rates obtained both from specimens containing a semielliptical surface flaw and from compact tension specimens are given and compared to other published data. Values of K_c for 2-in.-thick plate obtained from center-cracked specimens at room temperature and from compact tension specimens at both room temperature and -260°F and static and dynamic loading are presented. For the latter specimens, R-curves used in the determination of K_c values are also given. Finally, K_Ic values are estimated using the J-integral technique.

The application of these data to the design of LNG tankage is discussed, paying particular attention to conditions required to assure “leak before failure” behavior.