Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Fatigue-crack propagation in gamma-based titanium aluminide alloys at large and small crack sizes

Conference ·
OSTI ID:20001573

Most evaluations of the fracture and fatigue-crack propagation properties of {gamma}+{alpha}{sub 2} titanium aluminide alloys to date have been performed using standard large-crack samples, e.g., compact-tension specimens containing crack sizes which are on the order of tens of millimeters, i.e., large compared to microstructural dimensions. However, these alloys have been targeted for applications, such as blades in gas-turbine engines, where relevant crack sizes are much smaller ({lt}500 {micro}m) and where the small-crack fatigue threshold may be the most relevant design parameter. In this study, the authors compare and contrast the cyclic crack-growth behavior of both large (a {gt} 5 mm) and (c {approximately} 25--300 {micro}m) cracks in a {gamma}-TiAl based alloy, of composition Ti-47Al-2Nb-2Cr-0.2B (at.%), specifically for duplex (average grain size {approximately}17 {micro}m) and refined lamellar (average colony size {approximately}150 {micro}m) microstructures. It is found that, whereas the lamellar microstructure displays far superior fracture toughness and fatigue-crack growth resistance in the presence of large cracks, in small-crack testing the duplex microstructure exhibits a better combination of properties. The reasons for such contrasting behavior are examined in terms of the intrinsic and extrinsic (i.e., crack bridging) contributions to cyclic crack advance.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab., CA (US)
Sponsoring Organization:
US Department of Energy
DOE Contract Number:
AC03-76SF00098
OSTI ID:
20001573
Report Number(s):
CONF-981104--; ISBN 1-55899-458-0; ISSN 1067-9995
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

Similar Records

On the fatigue behavior of {gamma}-based titanium aluminides: Role of small cracks
Journal Article · Thu Feb 04 23:00:00 EST 1999 · Acta Materialia · OSTI ID:329080

The effect of processing and microstructure on properties of Ti-47Al-3Nb-1W and 46Al-2.5Nb-2Cr-0.2B {gamma} titanium aluminides
Book · Sat Dec 30 23:00:00 EST 1995 · OSTI ID:225153

Fatigue and fracture behavior of a fine-grained lamellar TiAl alloy
Journal Article · Tue Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1996 · Metallurgical and Materials Transactions. A, Physical Metallurgy and Materials Science · OSTI ID:438585