Full-field Laser Shearography Instrumentation for the Detection and Characterization of Fatigue Cracks in Titanium 10-2-3

A multi-component shearography instrument is used to investigate the in-plane surface strain fields in titanium 10-2-3 alloy specimens subjected to tensile loads. Titanium 10-2-3 alloy samples containing fatigue cracks with lengths from 0.7 to 5 mm were investigated using the shearography instrumentation. In-plane and out-of-plane measurements of surface strain are presented, along with comparative data from resistance strain gages. Factors determining the detection sensitivity, the limit of detection for crack lengths, and the accuracy of the strain field were established.