Influence of surface hardening by combined thermal force impacts on VT22 titanium alloy fatigue life and damage

The study covers the influence of electromechanical surface treatment (EMT), non-abrasive ultrasonic finishing (NAUF), their complex influence with subsequent aging on the fatigue life and surface microhardness changes. Samples for research were made of VT22 transition alloy rods after standard thermomechanical treatment. EMT was carried out by sample surface rolling with a roller and applying a high density current between them. As a result, surface thermomechanical treatment was carried out with the local fast surface heating and cooling. NAUF were implemented by shock treatment with an ultrasonic emitter striking on the treated surface. This revealed 1.8 times higher fatigue life when loading by rotational bending (with amplitude of 0.5σв) for samples after NAUF in comparison with the untreated initial state together with a slight increase in microhardness (up to 16 %). EMT reduces microhardness and fatigue life by almost 20 % and 70 %, respectively. EMT + NAUF complex processing has an insignificant effect on microhardness, but it increases fatigue life by 40 % with respect to EMT. Aging at 450 °C for 5 hours increases microhardness after EMT by 30–40 % with a simultaneous increase in fatigue life by 2 times. The aging of samples subjected to EMT + NAUF revealed virtually no increase in microhardness, but increased fatigue life by almost 3 times (as compared to EMT). According to fractography results, the reduction in fatigue life after EMT is associated with a reduction in the crack initiation stage, which virtually excludes this stage of fatigue damage accumulation from the overall sample fatigue life.