Size-Dependent Fracture Characteristics of Intermetallic Alloys

Background Lightweight alloys such as intermetallic titanium aluminide (TiAl) alloys are poised to be a potential candidate for replacing heavier nickel based super alloys in an aero engine. However, before an industry wide implementation is possible, it is indispensable to develop physically accurate computational material models which account for essential deformation and fracture mechanisms. This assists the virtual prototyping required for the new product development using TiAl components. Objective The objective of this work is to determine the effect of size of tested specimens on their fracture energy and provide a physically motivated scaling law. Methods In this work, the quasi-brittle behavior of TiAl alloys is experimentally and numerically investigated. A total number of 29 geometrically identical TiAl specimens of three different sizes are tested in a three-point bending setup. Since the final abrupt failure of each specimen is preceded by plasticity, a theoretical and numerical framework which accounts for both elastic and plastic work densities is applied in simulations. Results The fracture energy density for each tested size is calculated numerically which is found to be lower for larger volumes, thereby, confirming the size effect in intermetallic TiAl alloys. A novel size effect law is proposed which is based on two physically motivated coefficients. Conclusions The work concludes with the quantitative knowledge of the size-dependent fracture energy of intermetallic alloys and an empirical scaling law to predict the same. Excellent predictive capability of the proposed law is successfully established with data of various quasi-brittle materials from literature.