Volume 11, Issue 5, 2002

The Effect of Shot-Peening on the Fatigue Life of Unidirectional Titanium-Based Metal Matrix Composites

J. Solis-Romero1, E. R. de los Rios1, C. A. Rodopoulos1, J. R. Yates1 and S. P. Godfrey2

1Structural Integrity Research Institute of the University of Sheffield University (SIRIUS), Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sheffield, S1 3JD, UK.
2Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA), Ively Road, Farnborough, GU14 0LX, UK.

(Received 9/01; accepted 10/02)

ABSTRACT

This pioneer work demonstrates the possible link between surface engineering techniques like shot-peening (SP) and metal matrix composites. The SP process on MMCs aims to reduce the amount of tensile residual stresses developed on the matrix during manufacturing and consequently to allow the matrix to bear significantly higher strains at the crack tip during cycling. Measurements taken from peened 32%, SM1140/Ti-6-4 [8] revealed notable changes in the profile of the matrix residual stresses. Further experimental work revealed an increase of 45% on the fatigue limit of the peened material.

Keywords: Metal matrix composites, shot-peening, fatigue, residual stresses.

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