Accelerated crack growth rate at low Delta K in a single crystal superalloy

The low Delta K crack growth behavior of a single crystal of the PWA 1480 nickel-based superalloy was investigated. The crystal was tested in the near (100) orientation with the side faces being in the near (001) orientation. Although in the higher Delta K region the fatigue crack growth (FCG) behavior is rather normal, at Delta K of about 8 MPa sq rt m, a transition occurs where the FCG rate appears to be independent of Delta K. This region is found to continue until Delta K of about 2.5 MPa sq rt m, where the FCG rate again decreases with decreasing Delta K.