Fretting Fatigue Performance of Ti6Al4V Dovetail Joints Under Dimple Surface Texturing

Abstract

ABSTRACT In this work, a specially designed test fixture was used to investigate the effect of dimple surface texturing on the fretting fatigue performance of a Ti6Al4V dovetail joint. The novel geometry of the fretting pair offered simultaneous investigation under cylinder‐on‐flat and flat‐on‐flat contact configurations. Tests were conducted using a servo‐hydraulic fatigue machine under an axial cyclic load of 11 kN, a stress ratio of 0.05, and a frequency of 10 Hz. The dimple surface textures having densities of 19.6%, 12.6%, and 8.7% were fabricated using laser surface texturing. Microscopic investigations were conducted using an optical microscope, a scanning electron microscope, and a three‐dimensional wear microscope. An enhanced fretting fatigue life was observed at the highest texture density of 19.6%, causing a delay in the crack initiation and reducing the crack growth. SEM revealed a large amount of wear debris, oxidation, spalling, and debris at the higher texture densities.