Abstract: The influence of the grain boundary on the fatigue behavior was studied by two three-point-bending (TPB) specimens. One TPB specimen was named Bicrystal 1, whose pre-crack was along the grain boundary and the applied load paralleled to pre-crack direction, while the other TPB specimen was named Bicrystal 2, whose the pre-crack was perpendicular to the grain boundary and the applied load paralleled also to the pre-crack. It was found that the rate of the fatigue crack growth of Bicrystal 1 was about a tenfold higher than that of Bicrystal 2. The fatigue behavior of Bicrystal 2 specimens was dependent on the distance between the crack tip and grain boundary. The crack growth rate was highest when the crack tip was at a critical distance to the grain boundary, while the rate was the lowest when the crack tip reached grain boundary. After the crack was over the grain boundary, the crack growth rate increased. The crystallographic finite element method was applied to analyze the stress and strain structure ahead of the crack, in order to reveal the above characteristics of the fatigue behavior. It is the grain boundary-induced redistribution of stresses near the crack tip that induces the difference of fatigue behavior.

Key words: Bicrystals, Fatigue behavior, Grain boundary, Shielding effect