Criteria for determining the fatigue limit of Ni-based superalloy 718, considering the competition between opening- and shear-mode fatigue crack-growth

The mechanism that determines the fatigue limit associated with small-crack arrest in Ni-based superalloy 718 remains under debate. In order to comprehensively assess the alloy's fatigue limit in relation to the growth threshold of a small fatigue crack, (i) a & UDelta;KI-decreasing fatigue crack-growth test, (ii) torsional fatigue tests and (iii) tension-compression fatigue tests were conducted under fully-reversed loading conditions. In addition, elastic, crack-tip stress fields were analyzed for cracks under various loading conditions. Based on the results, a novel strategy for evaluating the alloy's fatigue limit is proposed after consideration of two crack-arresting modes (i. e., opening and shear modes).

Automated summary

A novel strategy for evaluating the fatigue limit of Ni-based superalloy 718 is proposed based on fatigue tests and stress analysis.