Assessing fatigue crack growth thresholds for a Ti-6Al-4V (STOA) alloy using two experimental methods

Abstract

Fatigue crack growth rate behavior in the threshold and near-threshold regimes for a Ti-6Al-4V solution-treated and over-aged (STOA) alloy was investigated using two test procedures: i) accelerated load reduction (ALR) utilizing faster load-shed rates than recommended in the ASTM standard E647 load-reduction (LR) test procedure, and ii) compression pre-cracking constant-amplitude (CPCA) or load-increasing (CPLI) and load-reduction (CPLR). Fatigue crack growth tests were conducted on compact, C(T), specimens (B = 6.35 mm) with two different widths (W = 51 and 76 mm) at two stress ratios (R = 0.1 and 0.7). The crack-growth-rate test data were compared to previous test data produced from the same batch of material using the ASTM LR and CPCA test procedures that were tested on C(T) specimens (W = 25, 51 and 76 mm) over a wide range in stress ratios (R = 0.1, 0.4, and 0.7).Although none of the load-reduction test procedures provided a good representation of the threshold value (ΔKth) at low R, the CPCA test procedure was the most promising. The LR, ALR, and CPLR test procedures were influenced by prior loading history, leading to higher ΔKth values and slower crack growth rates in the threshold regime due to a rise in the crack-opening loads. The LR and ALR tests at R = 0.1 and shed rates of −0.08, −0.32, and −0.95 mm−1 yielded ΔKth values that were 15 to 38 % higher than the estimated threshold stress-intensity factor range (ΔK*th)R=0.1 based on the crack-closure model (FASTRAN). The compression pre–cracking test procedures are more accurate alternatives for developing threshold and near-threshold fatigue crack growth rates. Specifically, the CPLR test procedure produced a ΔKth value that was 8–18 % higher than (ΔK*th)R=0.1. Additionally, LR and ALR tests produced different ΔKth values as a function of the specimen width for a given load ratio, which violates classical fracture mechanics principles. In addition, the spread in the ΔK-rate data in the low-rate regime was larger than the spread in the mid-rate regime as a function of R, a term referred to as “fanning”. In contrast, the CPCA test procedure produced consistent crack growth rates over the same range of ΔK values examined, independent of the specimen width and these data did not exhibit “fanning” with R. Further research is necessary to develop standard test procedures capable of providing a more definitive representation of the ΔKth value in the threshold regime. However, FASTRAN can serve as a crucial tool in aligning the actual ΔKth values with those obtained through CP testing, thereby bridging the gap and enhancing the reliability of the results.