Modeling the Temperature-Dependence of Tertiary Creep Damage of a Directionally Solidified Ni-Base Superalloy

Abstract

Directionally solidified (DS) Ni-base superalloys have become a commonly used material in gas turbine components. Controlled solidification during the material manufacturing process leads to a special alignment of the grain boundaries within the material. This alignment results in different material properties dependent on the orientation of the material. When used in gas turbine applications the direction of the first principle stress experienced by a component is aligned with the enhanced grain orientation leading to enhanced impact strength, high temperature creep and fatigue resistance, and improve corrosion resistance compared to off axis orientations. Of particular importance is the creep response of these DS materials. In the current study, the classical Kachanov-Rabotnov model for tertiary creep damage is implemented in a general-purpose finite element analysis (FEA) software. Creep deformation and rupture experiments are conducted on samples from a representative DS Ni-base superalloys tested at temperatures between 649 and 982°C and two orientations (longitudinally- and transversely-oriented). The secondary creep constants are analytically determined from available experimental data in literature. The simulated annealing optimization routine is utilized to determine the tertiary creep constants. Using regression analysis the creep constants are characterized for temperature and stress-dependence. A rupture time estimation model derived from the Kachanov-Rabotnov model is then parametrically exercised and compared with available experimental data.