Fatigue life assessment of orthopedic plates made of Ti6Al4V. (July 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sedmak, Aleksandar; Vucetic, Filip; Colic, Katarina; Grbovic, Aleksandar; Sedmak, Simon; Kirin, Snezana; Berto, Filippo
• Is Part Of: Engineering failure analysis. Volume 137(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-07
• Subjects: System failures (Engineering) -- Periodicals; Fracture mechanics -- Periodicals; Reliability (Engineering) -- Periodicals; Pannes -- Périodiques; Rupture, Mécanique de la -- Périodiques; Fiabilité -- Périodiques; Fracture mechanics; Reliability (Engineering); System failures (Engineering); Periodicals; Electronic journals; 620.112
• DOI: 10.1016/j.engfailanal.2022.106259
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1350-6307

Abstract

Highlights: Fatigue life of Ti6Al4V orthopedic plates is assessed by xFEM crack growth simulation. Five different geometries of plates were analysed by xFEM to obtain the optimal one. Experimental investigation was performed to determine mechanical properties, including crack resistance. Relatively short fatigue life in each of five geometries is attributed to low crack resistance of Ti6Al4V used here. Abstract: This study is aimed to analyse fatigue life of orthopedic plates due to cracks initiated in the stress concentration areas. Material used for this analysis was typical orthopedic alloy, Ti-6Al-4V, strong but not very ductile, meaning also sensivite to cracking, as indicated by its mechanical properties, such as tensile strength, impact toughness and fracture toughness, as well as by high fatigue crack rate, all of them tested and analysed here. Extended finite element method (XFEM) in ANSYS software was used for simulating the fatigue crack growth in 5 orthopedic plates with different geometries. Results for crack length and stress intensity factor vs. number of cycles are given, indicating plate D as the best option regarding residual life. Crack paths are analysed in all 5 plates to explain such a behaviour, indicating benefits of initial crack growth into length, followed by growth into depth. Also, the effect of geometry of plates is considered to explain differences in life predictions for 5 different plates.