High-cycle fatigue / low-cycle fatigue interactions in Ti-6Al-4V

The largest single cause of failure in fan and compressor components in the cold frontal sections of commercial and military gas turbine engines has been attributed to high cycle fatigue (HCF). Additionally, both high-cycle fatigue (HCF) and lowcycle fatigue (LCF) loadings are widely recognized as unavoidable during operation of these components and because the classic Linear Damage Rule (LDR) neglects to account for the synergistic interaction between these damage contributors, dangerous over predictions of lifetime can result.

Combined low-cycle fatigue / high-cycle fatigue (HCF/LCF) loadings were investigated in smooth Ti-6Al-4V. The specimens were subjected to a variable amplitude block loading history comprised of completely-reversed (R = -1) tensioncompression overloads followed by constant-amplitude zero-tension (R = 0) minor cycles. Axial specimens were excised from forgings representative of turbine engine fan blade forgings, and consisted of approximately 60% primary α in a matrix of lamellar α + β.

Data are reported for smooth specimens of Ti-6Al-4V subjected to both constant amplitude and variable amplitude loadings. The axial specimens were prepared according to two distinct specimen conditions: low stress ground and longitudinallypolished (LSG+LP) and stress-relieved and chemically milled (SR+CM) conditions. Significantly longer lives were observed for the LSG+LP specimen condition under both constant and variable amplitude loading, due to the presence of a beneficial compressive surface residual stress. The presence of this residual stress was confirmed by x-ray diffraction, and its magnitude was of the order of 180 MPa (~20% of the yield stress). In either specimen condition, no appreciable effect of periodic overloads on the life of subsequent minor cycles was observed.