Micromechanical study of abnormal fatigue cracking of Ti6246 at high Kmax
Résumé
During cyclic tests performed with a constant Kmax and increasing Kmjn on a α/β titanium alloy, if Kmax is higher than 60-70% of Klc the crack growth rate does not drop, as normally expected, but reaches an asymptotic value. Solute hydrogen is shown to segregate at the crack tip when the cyclic plastic zone vanishes and to enhance room temperature creep, strain localisation and decohesion along α/β interfaces.