No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

The fatigue crack growth rate of an orthorhombic + beta titanium aluminide, nominally Ti-25Al-25Nb, was studied as a function of temperature (25 to 750°C), environment (air and vacuum), frequency (0.001 to 1.0 Hz), and superimposed hold times (1 to 1000 s) under computer-controlled constant Kmax testing conditions. In addition, fatigue crack growth rates from the near-threshold region to rates greater than approximately 10-7 m/cycle were determined at room and elevated temperatures. Results show that the fatigue crack growth rate exhibits a combination of cycle- and time-dependent behavior and is sensitive to environment over the entire temperature range. At elevated temperature, crack growth per cycle is found to increase with decreasing frequency in both laboratory air and vacuum, suggesting a contribution from environmentally assisted crack growth. Growth rates in vacuum are as much as an order of magnitude lower than those obtained in air. Further, hold times of increasing duration are found to slightly decrease and then increase the crack growth rate at elevated temperature. At elevated temperatures, crack growth behavior appears to be a complex interaction of environmental degradation at the crack tip, crack-tip blunting due to creep, and cyclic fatigue (resharpening of the crack tip). An attempt was made to correlate the observed fatigue crack growth rates with the mechanism, or mechanisms, of fracture. The crack growth characteristics were compared with those of the alpha-2 titanium aluminide, Ti-24Al-11 Nb, and a conventional high-temperature titanium alloy, Ti-1100.