Multiaxial fatigue strength of severely notched titanium grade 5 alloy

The multiaxial fatigue strength of severely notched titanium grade 5 alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) is investigated. Experimental tests under combined tension and torsion loading, both in-phase and out-of-phase, have been carried out on axisymmetric V-notched specimens considering different nominal load ratios (R = -1, 0). All specimens are characterized by a notch tip radius less than 0.1 mm, a notch depth of 6 mm and a notch opening angle equal to 90 degrees. The experimental data from multiaxial tests are compared with those from pure tension and pure torsion tests on un-notched and notched specimens, carried out at load ratio ranging from R = -3 to R = 0.5. In total, more than 160 new fatigue data are examined, first in terms of nominal stress amplitudes referred to the net area and then in terms of the local strain energy density averaged over a control volume surrounding the V-notch tip. The dependence of the control radius on the loading mode is analysed showing a very different notch sensitivity for tension and torsion. For the titanium alloy Ti-6Al-4V, the control volume is found to be strongly dependent on the loading mode.