Experimental testing of Ti-6Al-4V under axial cyclic loading

The Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy is commonly used in the manufacturing of aircraft components. These components are typically subjected to cyclic stresses during their operational life. The propagation of existing defects contributes to fatigue degradation, making a comprehensive study of the fatigue response of Ti-6Al-4V containing defects crucial for an accurate evaluation of component durability. This paper presents the outcomes of experiments conducted in an inert environment using smooth and notched Ti-6Al-4V specimens subjected to axial cyclic loading. The fatigue strength appears comparable among the notched specimens and is significantly higher for the smooth ones. The failure of one of the tested smooth specimens started from a location different from where stress concentration is expected, probably due to the presence of a micro notch.