Additively manufactured metallic components contain high surface roughness values, which lead to unsatisfactory high cycle fatigue resistance. In this study, high cycle fatigue properties of selective laser melted Ti-6Al- 4V alloy are investigated and the effect of dry-electropolishing, which does not cause weight loss, on the fatigue resistance is also examined. To reduce the internal defect in the as-built Ti-6Al-4V, first, hot isostatic pressing (HIP) is conducted. Then, to improve the mechanical properties, solution treatment and aging are also implemented. Selective laser melting (SLM)-built Ti64 shows a primary α and secondary α+β lamellar structure. The sizes of secondary α and β are approximately 2 μm and 100 nm, respectively. On the other hand, surface roughness Ra values of before and after dry-electropolishing are 6.21 μm and 3.15 μm, respectively. This means that dry-electropolishing is effective in decreasing the surface roughness of selective laser melted Ti-6Al-4V alloy. The comparison of high cycle fatigue properties between before and after dry-electropolished samples shows that reduced surface roughness improves the fatigue limit from 150 MPa to 170 MPa. Correlations between surface roughness and high cycle fatigue properties are also discussed based on these findings.
In order to investigate the low-cycle fatigue behavior of Inconel 718 alloy used for pressure vessels, the strain-controlled fatigue test was performed in the room and high temperatures of 550°C. High temperature test was done using an electric furnace attached on the hydraulic fatigue test system. Tensile strength and elastic modulus of the Inconel 718 alloy at the temperature of 550°C decreased by 8% and 10%, respectively, compared to those at the room temperature. Subjected to the repeated cyclic loading under the strain-control, the material exhibited cyclic softening behavior with decreasing yield strength at both room and high temperatures. The low-cycle fatigue properties determined in this research could be effectively used for the fatigue life estimation of high temperature components made of Inconel 718 alloy.