Near threshold fatigue crack growth behavior of a titanium alloy: Ti-6A1-4V

Abstract

Near threshold fatigue crack growth behavior of Ti-6A1-4V alloy was investigated as function of Widmanstatten microstructures. In particular, the effect of colony size on ΔK th, ΔK eff,th and K cl,th has been studied. It has been found that crack growth rates are strongly affected by the size of microstructural features such as colonies and α laths. However, the microstructural units controlling crack growth are colonies in fast cooled microstructures consisting of fine Widmanstatten colonies while they are α laths in relatively slow cooled ones with coarse colonies. As a result, the projection in literature of increased fatigue crack growth resistance at large colony sizes in titanium alloys can not be generalized. This distinction appears to be brought about by the thick continuous interplatelet β phase present in slow cooled structures. In fast cooled structures, thin discontinuous β phase is seen to be ineffective in arresting slip or crack. However, in slow cooled ones thick β phase appears to effectively retard slip/crack in fatigue. The thickness, composition, intrinsic properties such as modulus, ductility of β phase and an added environmental effect have been suggested to be important in this respect. The crack growth rates and the magnitudes of ΔK th and ΔK eff,th can be uniquely ordered when compared in terms of the controlling microstructural units in respective microstructures. However, crack closure levels at threshold appear to be dependent on colony size. In addition, an increase in the intrinsic crack growth resistance ΔK eff,th appears to exist when the cyclic plastic zone size approaches the thickness of α laths in the microstructure.