Abstract: The initiation and propagation of the short fatigue crack in a 10vol% titanium carbide particulate reichreed cast Fe-26Cr-14Ni mathe coopsite at 1023K were investigated.It is shown that the titanium carbide particulate may hinder the crack propagation and fatigue fracture of the composite. The relationships between fatigue crack propagation rate and stress intensity factor are da/dN=4.2×10-c(△K)4 for the matrix alloy and da/dN=1.4×10-19(△K)c for the composite. The fatigue thresholds of the composite and mathe alloy are 78 and 3.2MPa.m1/2, respectively. Microcracks initiate at the intedece between titanium carbide particulate and austenite and then propagate in carkide particles. The fracture sudece of the composite shows a distinct transition from wavy and serated cleavage near the threshold regime to striation-type splitting in the stable fatigue crack propagation stage and to a veined morphology characteristic in unstable rapid region.

Key words: fatigue crack, initiation and propagation, Fe-Cr-Ni matrix composite, titanium carbide particulate