An EBSD Evaluation of the Microstructure of Crept Nimonic 101 for the Validation of a Polycrystal–Plasticity Model

Abstract

Nimonic 101 is one of the early nickel-based superalloys developed for the use in gas turbines. In such environments, the material is exposed to a combination of both high temperatures and mechanical loads for a long duration. Hence, thermal creep is of the utmost concern as it often limits service life. This study focuses on creep tests, carried out on Nimonic 101 at different temperatures under a constant tensile load of 735 MPa. To characterize the microstructural evolution, electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) measurements were employed before and after loading. At higher temperatures, a significant change of the microstructure was observed. The grains elongated and aligned their orientation along the load axis. In parallel, a crystal plasticity material model has been set up in the classical large deformation framework. Modeling results are compared to the acquired EBSD data.