Abstract: The fatigue crack propagation behavior of TiNi50.6 shape memory alloy was studied. The experiment results showed that the crack propagation properties of this alloy display difference and similarity in comparison with common metallic materials. Because of the stress concentration there was stress induced martensite transformation (SIMT) near the crack tip though the nominal stress was lower than the threshold stress of SIMT. The position and the amount of SIMT was in situ observed by a quester remote measurement system (QRMS). The observation results showed that the position of SIMT was beside the crack tip and was not in the plastic, zone of common metallic materials (in front of the crack tip). The SIMT zone at an angle of about 45 degrees to the direction of the crack propagation, like a butterfly, appeared in the loading process, disappeared in the unloading process and grew larger with the increase of DeltaK. The crack propagation rate(da/dN) followed the linear law in Ig-Ig plot. Observation of the crack surface showed fatigue striation clearly. The relationship between the site and the size of the plastic zone and the SIMT zone is discussed and a model is given to explain both the similarity and the difference of the crack propagation property of TiNi50.6 to common metal materials.

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