Aspects of high-cycle fatigue performance in a Ti-6Al-4V alloy

Determination of critical levels of microstructural damage that can lead to fatigue crack propagation under high-cycle fatigue loading conditions is a major concern for the aircraft industry regarding structural integrity of turbine engine components. The cyclic frequencies characteristic of service loading spectra are extremely high and appear to require a damage-tolerant design approach. One idea for such an approach is to attempt to define a practical, appropriate crack-propagation threshold, {Delta}K{sub TH}. The present study identifies a practical lower-bound large-crack threshold under high-cycle fatigue conditions in a Ti-6 Al-4V blade alloy (with {approximately}60% primary {alpha} in a matrix of lamellar {alpha}+{beta}). The authors suggest that lower-bound thresholds can be determined by modifying standard large-crack propagation tests to simulate small-crack behavior. Modification techniques include high load-ratio testing under both constant-R and constant-K{sub max} conditions, performed at cyclic loading frequencies up to 1 kHz and R ratios up to 0.95. The results of these tests are compared to the near-threshold behavior of naturally-initiated small cracks, and to the crack initiation and early growth behavior of small cracks emanating from sites of simulated foreign object damage.