Ageing characterization of exhaust flexible couplings

The aim of this work is to investigate the mechanical strength of automotive exhaust flexible couplings subjected to thermo-mechanical fatigue and corrosion. Five different types of flexible coupling have been considered, realised by four different king of materials: three stainless steels (AISI 309, AISI 321, AISI 321 Ti) and a nickel alloy (Incoloy 825). These components have been tested by a dedicated procedure consisting of different cycles of fatigue, heating and corrosion. Performances of the components have been compared by means of the CTQs approach.