Atomic simulation of fatigue crack propagation in Ni3Al

Abstract

The fatigue crack propagation behavior of Ni3Al was studied using molecular dynamics simulation at room temperature. The simulation results showed that the deformation mechanisms and the crack propagation path were significantly influenced by the orientation of initial crack. The formation process of slip bands around the crack tip was investigated in various cracks and indicated that the slip bands were able to hinder the initiation and propagation of cracks. Besides, the crack growth rate was also calculated by the Paris equation, and the results revealed that the crack growth rate increased with the increasing stress intensity factor range.