Corrosion fatigue behavior of Ti-6Al-4 V: Chemical and mechanical driving forces

The high strength-to-mass ratio and the appreciable corrosion resistance make the Ti-6Al-4 V alloy used in aerospace, automotive, maritime and biomedical applications. In this work the quasi-static behavior of this light alloy and its axial fatigue resistance in air, air + beeswax coating, paraffin oil, 3.5 wt% NaCl solution and various water-methanol solutions are presented in order to understand the effects of the medium and of the load. The contribution of the stress concentration factor Kt, calculated by means of finite element modelling, is investigated. A SEM (scanning electron microscopy) analysis was carried out in order to evaluate the microstructural modifications due to the environments and cyclic loads.