Influence of Low-energy Electromagnetic Shocking on Low-cycle Fatigue Performance of TC11 Titanium Alloy and Analysis

JIE Weibing; DUAN Yaxuan; WANG Fanglei; SUN Qian

doi:10.16490/j.cnki.issn.1001-3660.2026.15.013

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Surface Technology ›› 2026, Vol. 55 ›› Issue (15) : 169-179. DOI: 10.16490/j.cnki.issn.1001-3660.2026.15.013

Surface and Interface Strengthening Technology

Influence of Low-energy Electromagnetic Shocking on Low-cycle Fatigue Performance of TC11 Titanium Alloy and Analysis

JIE Weibing^a, DUAN Yaxuan^b, WANG Fanglei^b, SUN Qian^c,*

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Abstract

This study focuses on TC11 titanium alloy, a widely used material for aero-engine blades, and systematically investigates the effects of Low-Energy Electromagnetic Shock Treatment (EST) on its microstructural evolution and low-cycle fatigue (LCF) behavior. As a non-thermal surface strengthening technique, EST has demonstrated considerable potential for extending the service life of metallic materials; however, its atomistic-scale mechanisms in complex titanium alloy systems remain insufficiently understood. In the experimental stage, the TC11 alloy is machined into standard LCF specimens and subjected to electromagnetic shock loading using a high-intensity, short-pulse generator. By precisely controlling the pulse energy, an optimized EST parameter set (denoted as EST-4) is established to promote beneficial microstructural modifications while strictly avoiding macroscopic thermal damage or overheating-induced deformation. Subsequent cyclic loading tests are performed to quantitatively evaluate the fatigue life. The experimental results demonstrate that EST significantly enhances the fatigue resistance of TC11 alloy. Quantitative LCF testing indicates that the average fatigue life of the as-received (ORI) specimens is 25 032 cycles, whereas the optimized EST-4 treatment increases the fatigue life to 31 705 cycles, corresponding to a substantial improvement of 26.7%. To elucidate the underlying strengthening mechanism, a comprehensive multi-scale characterization is conducted using OM, SEM, EBSD, and TEM. The results confirm that the observed performance enhancement does not originate from conventional phase-transformation strengthening, as the volume fractions of the α and β phases remain essentially unchanged before and after treatment. However, EBSD analysis reveals a slight increase in the average grain size from 5.4 μm to 6.8 μm, accompanied by a critical evolution of grain boundary morphology. High-resolution TEM observations reveal a pronounced widening of α/α interfaces, characterized by the formation of distinctive striation-like grain boundary structures. These widened interfacial regions act as effective buffers for dislocation motion, enabling more efficient dissipation of plastic strain under cyclic loading compared with the sharp, high-energy grain boundaries present in the untreated state, thereby suppressing strain localization. Furthermore, a novel electromagnetic strengthening mechanism based on interfacial engineering is proposed. It is suggested that low-energy EST induces localized pre-melting at alloy interfaces, generating a transient high-energy state that facilitates atomic rearrangement at grain boundaries. This process leads to interface bridging, enhancing atomic continuity across grain boundaries and effectively healing micro-scale discontinuities without relying on bulk recrystallization. To verify this hypothesis at the atomistic scale, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are performed using the LAMMPS platform. An embedded-atom method (EAM) potential is employed to simulate the grain boundary energy response under electromagnetic thermal-mechanical coupling conditions. The simulation results reveal that, within a specific transient energy window, the interfacial energy of the system decreases markedly. This reduction in interfacial energy indicates a transition toward a more thermodynamically stable boundary state, thereby directly reducing the driving force for crack nucleation at grain boundaries. In summary, the synergistic effect of EST-induced interface bridging (physical connectivity enhancement) and interfacial stabilization (energy minimization) establishes a new pathway for improving the high-cycle reliability of TC11 titanium alloy. This work not only provides experimental evidences for surface modification of high-strength titanium alloy but also offers theoretical insight into the interaction between electromagnetic fields and solid-state metal interfaces.

Key words

TC11 titanium alloy / low-cycle fatigue / microstructure / interface bridging / electromagnetic shocking treatment

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JIE Weibing, DUAN Yaxuan, WANG Fanglei, SUN Qian. Influence of Low-energy Electromagnetic Shocking on Low-cycle Fatigue Performance of TC11 Titanium Alloy and Analysis[J]. Surface Technology. 2026, 55(15): 169-179

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