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An investigation of pore cracking in titanium welds

  • Issue Focus: Aerospace Materials
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Abstract

Two welded Ti-6A1-4V pressure vessels leaked prematurely in service. The leaks were caused by cracks emanating from weld porosity. The cracks originated during fabrication, with subsequent growth in service leading to the formation of the leak paths. Pore cracking is thought to be caused by a mechanism that involves both sustained-load and cyclic contributions, with the former being the more prominent. It is shown that the tendency for cracking is influenced by pore position and that pore size is not a deciding factor in that regard. The factors that govern pore cracking are discussed, and the possible role of interstitial embrittlement is assessed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Space Systems Division, Rockwell International, Downey, California

    T. Khaled

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  1. T. Khaled
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Khaled, T. An investigation of pore cracking in titanium welds. JMEP 3, 21–36 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02654496

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