The effect of grain morphology on longitudinal creep properties of INCONEL MA 754 at elevated temperatures

Abstract

The longitudinal creep behavior of two heats of coarse grained INCONEL* MA 754 have been examined at temperatures of 1000 °C and above. Both heats exhibit a pronounced transition in deformation behavior. At high stresses, dislocation creep is observed and high stress exponents (n ∼40) are measured. Fracture in this regime is transgranular with high creep ductilities. At lower stresses, the stress exponents are low and fracture is intergranular. In this regime, the stress exponent depends strongly on the grain morphology. Heat 1, with a uniform fiber grain morphology, exhibits significantly higher stress exponents than Heat 2, which has a duplex grain morphology consisting of coarse grains along with pockets of fine, equiaxed grains. Microstructural examination of specimens deformed at the lower stresses provides evidence that cavitation of the transverse grain boundaries occurs by means of diffusive cavity growth. In the heat with the uniform fiber morphology, cavity growth is constrained by creep of adjacent grains. Cavity growth for the heat with the duplex grain morphology is apparently limited by the sliding of pockets of fine grains. The implications of these results for optimizing creep resistance of MA 754 are discussed.