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Ternary TiAl alloy with 8 at.% Nb and lamellar microstructure is subjected to low cycle fatigue tests at temperatures ranging from room temperature to 800 °C. The aim of the study is to find limit conditions when the microstructure is still stable and to study mechanisms of microstructural degradation when this limit is exceeded. Up to 750 °C, no cyclic softening or hardening is observed and cyclic stress-strain curve follows the tensile curve. Cyclic softening is characteristic for 800 °C. The TEM observation did not reveal any substantial changes in the microstructure due to the cycling up to 700°C. The lamellar structure is altered by cyclic straining at 750 °C and, to a higher extent, at 800°C. In specimens cycled to fracture at 800 °C, the domains without lamellar structure cover about 10% of volume and are almost dislocation free. The destruction of lamellar microstructure is the reason for the marked cyclic softening at 800 °C.

Cyclic multiple step test in strain control have been performed on cylindrical specimens of cast polycrystalline Inconel 738LC and 792-5A superalloys at 800 °C in laboratory atmosphere. Hysteresis loops were analyzed according to the statistical theory of hysteresis loop. The effective and internal stress components were evaluated. The effective stress of γ´ precipitate has significant influence on the stress-strain response both materials. The stress amplitude in IN 792-5A is higher than in IN 738LC at approximately same total strain amplitude due to significantly higher effective stress of γ´ phase. Cyclic hardening/softening curves and cyclic stress-strain curves using short-cut procedure were obtained. Cyclic hardening/softening behavior depends both on temperature and strain amplitude. Low amplitude straining is characterized by the saturation of the stress amplitude. In high amplitude straining slight softening was found. The cyclic stress-strain curves for both materials can be fitted by power law. Cyclic stress-strain response in terms of internal and effective stress components is discussed in relation to microstructural parameters of the materials. The observation of surface relief revealed the presence of persistent slip markings.