An unexplained feature was observed at the fatigue crack origin of a number of α/β titanium specimens tested at 450• C in the low cycle fatigue regime. The origin was discoloured blue but this was not a result of temper colouration; this feature sometimes resulted in large reductions in fatigue lives. A number of specimens were examined to determine the cause and formation mechanism of these "blue spots." This feature was associated with elevated oxygen and chloride levels and the presence of sodium. A mechanism based on hot-salt stress-corrosion cracking is proposed and the implications for service components are discussed.

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Real components are usually subjected to variable amplitude fatigue, and yet the deformation micromechanisms that occur due to such load changes have barely been the subject of study. Here, unidirectionally rolled equiaxed Ti6Al-4V plate was subjected to mixed dwell and variable amplitude low cycle fatigue (LCF), with the finding that overloads near the yield stress were found to retard subsequent fatigue crack growth, whilst elastic underloads were found to accelerate subsequent growth. Dwell intervals were found to be especially damaging, to a far greater extent than either dwell or LCF alone. Dwell facets were found to initiate subsurface and to be smoother than LCF facets, but were otherwise similar in orientation (∼ 30 • to the loading axis) and crystallographic plane, 2-13 • from (0002). However, no alteration of the slip bands underlying striations was observed at the point of load changes using TEM. In failure investigation, striation counting is an important tool; the loading changes used were not found to affect the number of striations formed. Dislocation networks were found between similarly oriented grains in the as-received material, which disintegrated under dwell loading and at high stresses.

During hot component fatigue tests there have been two cases of low life crack initiation of gas turbine rotating parts manufactured from the Titanium alloy Ti-6246. Both exhibited a small (~0,1mm) elliptical "blue spot" at the origin. Through validated striation count work and fracture mechanics it was established that fatigue had propagated with a near-nil initiation life. Early investigation suggested that the "blue spot" was possibly a region of stage 1 fatigue growth, and was therefore a material behaviour concern with potential implications for service. During an investigation of a later cracking incident in this alloy, subsequently shown to have resulted from Stress-corrosion cracking (SCC), near-identical fractographic characteristics to that seen in the "blue spot" were found that subtly differentiated it from stage 1 fatigue. Also, similar "blue spots" have since been identified on Ti6246 Laboratory hot LCF test specimens and found to have been due to contamination by NaCl, through the application of focussed long-term EDX examination and other novel chemical analyses techniques. By the application of those techniques, fractography, and comparison against these specimens, Rolls-Royce and Imperial College London have collaborated to show that the original two component "blue spots" were subtle examples of NaCl-related Hot Salt Stress-Corrosion Cracking (HSSCC). Such cracking has not been found to occur in service components, due to air pressure within the engine, and the effect is therefore confined to Laboratory and component tests at near-atmospheric pressure or below.

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