Evaluating the Effect of Contact Pad Geometry on the Fretting Fatigue Behavior of Titanium Alloy by Experimental and Finite Element Analysis

Abstract

This work evaluated the influence of rectangular grooves at the fretting contact on the fretting fatigue behavior of IMI 834 titanium alloy by performing fretting fatigue experiments with two distinct contact pad geometries, namely flat pad (flat contact interface) and groove pad (rectangular grooves at the contact interface). A plain fatigue test (without fretting) was also performed to better understand the effect of fretting on the fatigue behavior of IMI 834 titanium alloy. A finite element analysis (FEA) model that evaluated stress distribution at the contact interface was also used to investigate the damage processes. The fracture surface and fretting area of the tested object were evaluated using a scanning electron microscope and electron microscopy. The findings demonstrated that fretting fatigue lifetimes attained with a contact pad having grooves at the fretting contact were significantly longer than those achieved with a flat type contact pad. The results of the experimental testing, as well as the stress distribution, were used to address the findings. © 2022, ASM International.