High Temperature Creep Research Articles

Enhanced creep resistance and microstructure in 7055 Al alloy by in-situ (Al2O3 + ZrB2) nanoparticles and Al3(Er, Zr)

This work put forward a novel approach to enhancing high-temperature creep resistance of 7055 Al alloy via inducing reinforcements including in-situ (Al2O3 + ZrB2) nanoparticles and Al3(Er, Zr). Creep steady-state rates of the (Al2O3 + ZrB2)/7055 Al composites enhanced by synergistic Er, Zr were lower than the (Al2O3 + ZrB2)/7055 Al composites, indicating the values of stress component (n) and apparent activation energy (Q) were 1.05–1.15 and 1.06–1.08 times of (Al2O3 + ZrB2)/7055 Al composites. The dislocation climb mechanism was considered as the dominative creep mechanism because the suitable true stress exponent was 5. The uniform distribution of Al2O3 and Al3(Er, Zr) and their influence on improving the distribution of ZrB2 aggregates gave rise to relative uniform deformation during creep process. The built interface models that induce Al3(Er, Zr) between the nanoparticle/Al interface could lead to a more thermodynamically stable and well-bonded interface. The coupling effect of attachments containing Al2O3, ZrB2 and Al3(Er, Zr) played an enhanced role in terms of vacancy-trapping, precipitate-nucleation, dislocation motion during creep process. The nanoparticles and Al3(Er, Zr) together with nuclear sites containing solute atoms, vacancies and misfits nearby, caused an expansion-inhibiting effect on the helical dislocations. The in-grain misorientation axes (IGMA) concentration of some deformed grains associated with Schmid factor (SF) analysis were related to 〈001〉, 〈111〉 and 〈101〉 direction. The calculation of creep resistance mechanisms was quantified. Additionally, typical intergranular fracture appeared within the composites due to the relatively uniform reinforcements, resulting in the complex crack path.

Effect of Load Cycling on High Temperature Creep of 316L Stainless Steel

For components in concentrating solar thermal plants, the creep mechanism will cause a significant portion of material damage to receivers, storage tanks, turbines and pipework. These components will undergo conditions where loads, temperature, or both load and temperature are not constatnly applied. This creep damage process will not resemble the constant load creep tests used to characterise creep of materials. Therefore, creep tests incorporating a load cycle were undertaken to obtain a better understanding of how high temperature materials respond to these cyclic conditions. These tests showed that when time under load was considered, creep undertaken under load cycling conditions were accelerated relative to constant load conditions. A modified Larson-Miller approach was used to assess this effect and determine an equivalent stress where constant load test data agrees with the cycled test data. This found that cycling the load was equivalent to if the system were under 3 and 7 MPa higher stress, for tests which were loaded for 12 hrs and 6 hrs per 24 hrs respectively. This could be a potential approach to simply and easily consider these load cycling effects for design and life analysis.

Microstructure, Mechanical, and Tribological Properties of Nb-Doped TiAl Alloys Fabricated via Laser Metal Deposition.

TiAl alloys possess excellent properties, such as low density, high specific strength, high elastic modulus, and high-temperature creep resistance, which allows their use to replace Ni-based superalloys in some high-temperature applications. In this work, the traditional TiAl alloy Ti-48Al-2Nb-2Cr (Ti4822) was alloyed with additional Nb and fabricated using laser metal deposition (LMD), and the impacts of this additional Nb on the microstructure and mechanical and tribological properties of the as-fabricated alloys were investigated. The resulting alloys mainly consisted of the γ phase, trace β0 and α2 phases. Nb was well distributed throughout the alloys, while Cr segregation resulted in the residual β0 phase. Increasing the amount of Nb content increased the amount of the γ phase and reduced the amount of the β0 phase. The alloy Ti4822-2Nb exhibited a room-temperature (RT) fracture strength under a tensile of 568 ± 7.8 MPa, which was nearly 100 MPa higher than that of the Ti4822-1Nb alloy. A further increase in Nb to an additional 4 at.% Nb had little effect on the fracture strength. Both the friction coefficient and the wear rate increased with the increasing Nb content. The wear mechanisms for all samples were abrasive wear with local plastic deformation and oxidative wear, resulting in the formation of metal oxide particles.

In situ monitoring of high-temperature creep damage in CrMoV high-strength structural steel using acoustic emission

The accurate detection and evaluation of creep damage in structural steel is essential for ensuring the safety and reliability of high-temperature structures. In this work, the in situ monitoring and identification of high-temperature creep damage in CrMoV high-strength steel under different stress levels was conducted using the acoustic emission (AE) technique. A denoising procedure was proposed and applied to raw AE signals to reduce the noise unrelated to the growth of creep damage. To characterize the creep damage both qualitatively and quantitatively, multiple AE features were extracted from the creep-related signals, including peak amplitude, count, and information entropy. The results showed that a sudden increase in multiple cumulative parameters accompanied by high-entropy and high-count AE signals can accurately identify the transition from the secondary to the tertiary stage and can offer an early warning of the final rupture. In the log-log scale, the quantitative relationship between the AE rate and the minimum creep rate was found to be linear. Additionally, the substantial plastic deformation, and the nucleation, growth and coalescence of creep cavities were the dominating source mechanisms contributing to the generation of numerous high-count and high-entropy AE signals in the tertiary creep stage. Findings from this work will offer an approach for in situ monitoring and evaluation of the state of creep damage of high-temperature structures based on AE.

The formation mechanism of void in thin-walled capsule welding joint induced by HIP

Thin-walled capsule significantly impacts the overall quality of hot isostatic pressing (HIP）products, with capsule reliability being a crucial factor in determining the success or failure of the HIP process. High-temperature creep is essential for the densification of HIP powder. However, the capsule, made of dense metal, undergoes its own creep process. High temperature and high pressure may induce void formation in the capsule due to diffusion and creep. The integrity of the capsule typically relies on the welding process, and void formation at welded joints poses a significant challenge to the capsule’s reliability, increasing the likelihood of failure. This study investigates the mechanisms of void formation in welded joints during the HIP process. Results indicate that high temperature and high pressure during HIP promote the formation of two types of voids in mild steel: Kirkendall voids and creep voids. Kirkendall voids are driven by diffusion and influenced by the HIP insulation temperature, which affects their state but not their formation. Creep voids, however, originate from stress concentration at grain boundaries during creep deformation. Their distribution density is positively correlated with the degree of creep deformation, which is primarily controlled by HIP pressure and temperature.

High-temperature creep mechanism of Ti-Ta-Nb-Mo-Zr refractory high-entropy alloys prepared by laser powder bed fusion technology

Creep resistance, which is one of the most important deformation modes, is rarely reported for refractory high entropy alloys (RHEAs). The experiment investigated the high-temperature creep mechanism of Ti-Ta-Nb-Mo-Zr RHEA prepared by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) technology. The high cooling rate of LPBF suppresses most of the elemental segregation, but there are still over-solidified precipitates and a few continuous precipitates (CP). In the range of 923–1023 K, the stress exponent and activation energy were determined to be 3.2–3.4 and 261.5 ± 19.5 kJ/mol, respectively. Compared with other conventional alloys and HEAs, a large reduction of the minimum creep rate is found in the LPBF-built Ti1.5Ta0.5NbZrMo0.5 RHEA, indicating a significant improvement in high-temperature properties. The dislocation tangles at the interface is formed during the creep process and new Zr-rich CP phases are generated in the dislocation tangles region. The interfacial dislocation tangles is the result of the interaction between dislocations and two-phase mismatch stresses. The dislocation tangles prevents dislocations from further cutting the matrix phase, which is very favorable to the high-temperature creep performance. At the same time, the formation of this dislocation tangles greatly accelerates the nucleation process and growth rate of the new CP phase. The present work provides a pathway to design novel HEAs with improved high-temperature creep resistance.

Evaluating thermal activated coal gangue as alternative filler in asphalt binder using rheological experiments and molecular dynamic simulation

Asphalt mastic, an important raw material in asphalt pavement, is a mixture of asphalt binder and mineral filler. This study utilized coal gangue (CG) as alternative of natural filler in asphalt mastic, which has benefits to recycling solid waste and saving non-renewable resource. In order to achieve performance improvement of CG asphalt mastic (CGAM), thermal activation approach was applied to treat CG particles from 450 ℃ to 900 ℃. Before and after treatment, the surface morphology, mineral components and size distribution were characterized via scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and laser particle size analyzer. Meanwhile, the dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) and bending beam rheometer (BBR) experiments were conducted to compare the rheological responses of CGAM at high and low temperatures. Further, the interfacial behavior between asphalt binder and CG filler is simulated by molecular dynamic (MD) method, aiming to explore the interaction mechanism at atomistic scale. Results show that the activated CG possesses a smaller particle size and a rougher surface by comparison in virgin one (i.e., unactivated CG). And the calcination process results in the crystal phase transition of CG and the proportion increase of alkali minerals, contributing to the stronger interaction ability and higher adhesion energy with asphalt binder. Owing to the positive changes of CG during calcination process, the corresponding CGAM exhibits superior deformation resistance property under recycling loads at high temperature and flexural creep ability at low temperature, especially when the calcination temperature rises to 750 ℃.

Prediction method of long-term creep deformation of mobile phone resin lens module in a harsh temp environment

In recent years, the replacement cycle of digital products such as mobile phones in the market has significantly increased, and the accurate prediction of attenuation under long-term usage conditions of the lens module, storage, and other components has become important. The vast majority of mobile phone lens modules are processed from optical resins, and the degradation of their imaging performance is mainly caused by assembly deformation and long-term creep deformation after a high-temperature reliability test. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a reliable model to describe the long-term creep deformation of the mobile phone resin lens module in a harsh temperature environment. This study proposed a modified derivation method for the parameters of the Maxwell constitutive model to predict the long-term creep deformation of the mobile phone resin lens module in a high-temperature environment. The fitting accuracy of the modified generalized Maxwell model and the time-hardening model were compared through uniaxial compression creep experiments. Long-term creep simulations and experiments were conducted on the mobile phone resin lens module; the deformation law of each component of the mobile phone resin lens module was identified; and the creep deformation mechanism was elucidated. The result shows that the modified generalized Maxwell model has much higher accuracy than the time-hardening model in predicting the long-term creep deformation of different resin materials. When considering the influence of the creep phenomenon, the simulation result matches well with the experimental result, and the high-temperature creep mechanism of the mobile phone resin lens module was clarified. In addition, it was found that the maximum deformation of the lens occurred at the lens with the largest size, which was 2.1 µm, and the position with the largest surface deviation was at the edge of the lens. The prediction method proposed in this study can provide guidance and correction suggestions for the structural design of a mobile phone resin lens module and the rationality of optical design; thus, the imaging accuracy of lens modules will be guaranteed to the greatest extent possible.

Description of step loads at high temperature creep of metallic materials

Abstract In metallic materials under high-temperature creep conditions, the damage evolution occurs. To describe it, Kachanov and Rabotnov proposed the concept of damage. In this paper, the damage parameter is defined as the relative change in material density, serving as an integral measure of damage. By incorporating the damage parameter and the mass conservation law, are we formulated interrelated kinetic equations for rate of creep deformation and the damage parameter. The case of variable loads is crucial both theoretically and practically, as most structural components typically operate under such conditions. Therefore, solutions of considered equations are derived for the case of two-stage loading. The received solutions and experimental results on the creep of titanium alloy under variable loads at 500°C were compared. There is a good agreement between the theoretical results and experimental data.

Creep behavior of a novel ODS ferrite steel reinforced with ultra-fine Y2(Zr0.6, Ti0.4)2O7 particles

Oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) ferrite steel is a competitive candidate structural material for the Generation IV fission reactors. In this work, a novel ODS ferrite steel reinforced with ultra-fine Y2(Zr0.6, Ti0.4)2O7 particles was prepared by powder metallurgy method, which exhibit superior mechanical properties at elevated temperatures. Creep tests of the ODS ferrite steel at 800 °C was conducted to reveal its high-temperature creep failure mechanism. This ODS steel has an average grain size of 1.31 μm, and the mean size and number density of the ultra-fine oxide particles are 5.48 nm and 4.85 × 1023 m−3, respectively. When the applied creep stress is 100 MPa, the creep rupture time of the ODS steel is 2448.5 h, and the minimum creep rate is only 1.05 × 10−7 s−1. Under the similar creep stress at 800 °C, the creep rate of this ODS steel is at least one order of magnitude lower than that of other typical ODS steels reported in the literatures, showing excellent creep properties. By fitting the data of minimum creep rate, applied stress and effective stress normalized by shear modulus, the creep threshold stress of the ODS steel was determined as 56.2 MPa, and the true stress exponent was calculated as 4.5 ± 1.0, which indicates that the creep mechanism is dominated by dislocation. Orowan bypass mechanism and dislocation climb over the particle mechanism play a major role in this dislocation mediated creep behavior. Due to the strong hindering effect of dislocation motion caused by the ultra-fine and dispersed Y2(Zr0.6, Ti0.4)2O7 particles, the novel ODS ferrite steel thereby achieved excellent creep properties.

Effect of Heat Treatment on Structure Evolution and Mechanical Property Strengthening of Low-Cobalt Nickel-Based Superalloy

In this paper, the microstructure of an alloy was regulated by means of strengthening solution aging, and microstructure observation and composition analysis were carried out by means of an optical microscope and X-ray diffractometer. Combined with the Vickers hardness tester, electronic universal testing machine and high-temperature persistent creep testing machine, the mechanical properties and high-temperature properties of the alloy were tested, and the strengthening mechanism of the alloy was explored. The results showed that the dendritic morphology and structure of the alloy decreased with an increase in temperature during the solution process, and the γ′ phase morphology also changed with the solution temperature: oval → cross → cubic. The γ′ phase after solid solution at 1295 °C was closest to the cubic form. Therefore, it is believed that the 1295 °C solution treatment had the best effect. In the aging process, the uniform cubic degree of γ′ phase distribution was the highest at 1090 °C. On the basis of fixed aging temperature (1090 °C), it was found that the volume fraction of the γ′ phase increased significantly after 8 h. The γ′ phase, which was closest to the cubic form, had the largest proportion of precipitation, and the volume fraction increased to 70.3%. The minimum carbide volume was 1.0%. The hardness of the alloy reached 435.8 HV; the yield strength increased to 280.1 MPa; and the durability of the alloy under the conditions of 1000 °C/230 MPa and 870 °C/655 MPa was 99.7 h and 42.7 h, respectively, which achieved the purpose of alloy design.

High temperature creep and embrittlement in metals and alloys under conditions of the long-term usage

High temperature creep and embrittlement in metals and alloys under conditions of the long-term usage

Rapid screening of creep resistance in additive manufactured Ti-6Al-4V alloy

In this study, rapid screening of creep resistance for additively manufactured (AM) materials is enabled using an accelerated creep test (ACT) called the dynamic negative stepped test (DNST). Additively manufactured components are on the rise in aerospace systems, particularly turbine engine parts. It can be challenging to identify the AM process parameters that correspond to high-temperature strength and creep resistance. Tests are needed that rapidly screen and qualify creep resistance. In DNST, the temperature is held constant, and the specimen is taken through a series of load holds from high to low. The DNST contains two distinct characteristics: (1) the hold duration for each step is “dynamically” controlled to ensure the minimum-creep-strain-rate is achieved at every step, and (2) the “descending” profile maximizes damage accumulation while remaining on the edge of instability. The DNST assesses a material's ability to resist creep damage accumulated across multiple deformation mechanisms. In this study, electron beam melted Ti–6Al–4V, built at six (6) directions: 0°, 30°, 45°, 60°, 90°, and V, is tested using a four-step DNST at 650 °C. Analysis of the minimum-creep-strain-rate (at each step), creep ductility, and rupture were performed. A strain energy density (SED) benchmark metric was established to rapidly screen and classify creep resistance using an “Ashby-like” plot that balanced energy dissipated and energy dissipation rate. The creep resistance was found to be ranked from V, 60, 45, 30, 90, and 0 in descending order. Microstructural and crystallographic characterization revealed grain refinement progressing from the strain-free to the high-strain regions, indicative of dynamic recrystallization (DRX). Further observations revealed that the material's energy capacity increased with the alignment of the grains' long axis and tensile direction.

Characterization of Dislocation Structures in Uranium Dioxide After High Temperature Creep via Diffraction and Electron Channeling Contrast

Characterization of Dislocation Structures in Uranium Dioxide After High Temperature Creep via Diffraction and Electron Channeling Contrast

Effect of solid solution heat treatment duration on microstructure evolution and the high temperature and low stress creep properties of a low-cost fourth-generation single crystal superalloy

Low-cost Ni-based single crystal superalloy with high performance attracted much attention to the researchers in recent years. A Ru-free low-cost fourth-generation single crystal superalloy was designed in this study, which was rarely reported previously. This study mainly focused on the effect of solid solution heat treatment duration on the microstructure evolution and high temperature and low stress creep properties on the experimental superalloy. By the metallographic method, it was revealed that the dendritic segregation was gradually eliminated with the increasing solid solution heat treatment duration. Segregation of Al and Ta were well homogenized as well as W. Segregation of Re could still be observed after 32 h solid solution heat treatment. Quantity and fraction of pores increased, which has a significant influence on the creep properties. Compositional variation between dendritic and inter-dendritic region was the main factor that caused the qualitative difference in the size and volume fraction of the γ' phase. Gap of the γ' size and volume fraction between dendritic cores and inter-dendritic region after solid solution heat treatment became minor. Homogeneous dislocation networks formed during the creep test and the ruptured dislocation networks of the specimen subjected to 32 h solid solution heat treatment were found. In the tertiary stage of the creep test, the primary creep deformation mechanism is the super-dislocations with Burgers vector of a 〈010〉 shearing the rafted γ' phases. The specimen subjected to 16 h solid solution heat treatment has the optimal creep performance, followed by those subjected to 32 h and 8 h, respectively.

Influence of Oxide Inclusions on the Creep Properties of Electron Beam Welds in Ti-added Reduced Activation Ferritic/Martensitic Steel

In this study, the effects of reducing oxide inclusions on the microstructure, tensile properties at 550 ℃, and creep resistance of electron beam welded (EBW) joints in Ti-added reduced activation ferritic/martensitic (RAFM) steel were investigated. Two RAFM steels, designated as Steel A and Steel B, were prepared by adjusting the Al and Si contents to contain different fractions of oxide inclusions. The microstructures of the base metal and heat-affected zone (HAZ) were analyzed, and the mechanical properties of the welds were evaluated. Reducing the Al and Si content in Steel B resulted in a decrease in both the fraction and size of oxide inclusions compared to Steel A. Both steels exhibited tempered martensitic microstructures with M23C6 and MX precipitates. Hardness tests revealed that the over-tempered HAZ (OTHAZ) was the weakest region. However, both tensile test and creep tests at 550 ℃ showed fractures occurring in the base metal, indicating that the low heat input of EBW effectively minimized the weak HAZ regions. Steel B demonstrated improved tensile properties and creep resistance due to the reduced oxide inclusions. It was found that Steel B had a significantly longer creep life than Steel A at 550 ℃. SEM analysis revealed ductile fracture characterized by dimples, where oxide inclusions containing Al, Si, Ta, and Ti were predominant. The presence of these inclusions reduced the effectiveness of solid solution and precipitation strengthening by consuming Ta and Ti. Additionally, microvoids could easily nucleate at the interface between the hard oxide inclusions and the soft metal matrix during creep. Therefore, the reduction of oxide inclusions improved deformation resistance and high-temperature stability, resulting in better creep resistance in Steel B. In conclusion, the reduction of oxide inclusions in Ti-added RAFM steel enhances the high-temperature mechanical properties and creep resistance of EBW joints, underscoring the importance of oxide control in the development of RAFM steels for fusion reactor applications.

Study on heat transfer enhancement mechanism of silicon carbide material applied to thermal magnesium reduction process

The refractory steel retort used in the thermal magnesium production industry works in a high temperature of 1200 °C under high vacuum condition for a long time, with a service life of only about 2 months. Frequent replacement of the reduction retort results in high production costs for thermal magnesium production. The fundamental reason for the instability and deformation of refractory steel reduction retort is high temperature creep, while silicon carbide material has very strong creep resistance and high thermal conductivity at high temperature. Therefore, the silicon carbide material is introduced into the field of thermal magnesium production in this paper. Based on the structural size of the traditional reduction retort, the silicon carbide straight fin reduction retort is designed, and the coupling characteristics of heat and mass transfer and chemical reaction in the silicon carbide straight fin reduction retort are studied by numerical calculation. The results show that the silicon carbide straight fin reduction retort can effectively improve the pellet temperature rise rate, and the minimum temperature in the initial stage is about 700 °C higher than that of the traditional refractory steel retort. The average magnesium production rates of the silicon carbide straight fin reduction retort with 2, 3 and 4 fins are 4.81, 5.89 and 6.91 kg/h, respectively, which are 37 %, 68 % and 97 % higher than that of the traditional retort with 3.5 kg/h. To further improve the production efficiency, a silicon carbide double loop straight fin reduction retort was designed, and the energy saving, emission reduction and carbon reduction potential of this silicon carbide double loop straight fin reduction retort used in thermal magnesium production industry was quantitatively analyzed. The average magnesium production rates of the silicon carbide double loop retort with a fin height of 150 mm and a fin number of 6, 8 and 12 are 5, 5.88 and 8.93 kg/h respectively, which increased the production efficiency by 43 %, 68 % and 155 % respectively compared with the traditional retort. The overall effect of increasing fin height and number on magnesium production rate was to prolong the peak time of production, so that most of the magnesium production work was completed in a short time. The research results in this paper provide a scientific basis for the application of silicon carbide materials in thermal magnesium production industry and a new way for energy saving and carbon reduction.

Atomic-scale compositional complexity ductilizes eutectic phase towards creep-resistant Al-Ce alloys with improved fracture toughness

Hierarchical microstructures spanning from micro-sized eutectic structure to nano-sized precipitates are promisingly engineered in lightweight Al alloys to improve the high-temperature creep resistance that is increasingly required for rapid industrial development. However, the intrinsically-brittle eutectic phase is ready to fracture upon applied loading, which, dramatically reducing room-temperature ductility and fracture toughness, greatly hampers practical applications of the creep-resistant Al alloys. Here, through the combination of Sc microalloying with sub-rapid solidification, we observe the ductilization of Al11Ce3 eutectic phase in cast heat-resistant Al-Ce-Sc alloys due to the formation of atomic-scale compositional complexity. High-concentration Sc atoms are frozen within the Al11Ce3 intermetallic phase by the sub-rapid solidification, which then assemble into unusual atomic-scale compositional dipoles with the Sc atoms enriched at one pole and the Al atoms at the opposite during subsequent heat treatment. The dispersed Sc-Al compositional dipoles induce local lattice distortions that stimulate dislocation activities, as temporally and spatially visualized by in-situ neutron diffraction tensile test and microstructural characterizations. The unexpected plastic deformation triggered in Al11Ce3 improves the deformation compatibility between the eutectic phases, enabling the sub-rapidly-solidified Al-Ce-Sc alloy to reach a room-temperature tensile elongation 3 times and fracture toughness over 8 times of its counterpart derived from traditional solidification. In addition, the sub-rapidly-solidified Al-Ce-Sc alloy exhibits an excellent creep resistance at 300 °C, achieving a tensile creep stress threshold of ∼ 70 MPa. These findings provide new perspectives on the design of ductile intermetallic phases and the development of creep-resistant Al alloys with application-level ductility.

High-temperature material properties of type 316L stainless steel for the design of pressure boundary components subjected to 700°C coolant

The high-temperature material properties of Type 316L stainless steel (hereafter referred to as “316L SS”) were determined through a series of material tests to enable the design of pressure vessels and piping operating up to 700 °C. Currently, the only applicable design rule for 316L SS components in the high-temperature creep range is French high-temperature design standard, RCC-MRx. However, the material properties provided by RCC-MRx are limited to approximately 600 °C. In this study, new material properties and relevant design coefficients for Type 316L components subjected to 700 °C coolant were determined based on material tests including tension, fatigue and creep tests conducted on 316L SS specimens. Utilizing these supplemented properties and design coefficients, the design of pressure boundary components and piping made of 316L SS in a large-scale test facility known as TESET, subjected to 700 °C coolant, was carried out. Several large-scale sodium tests at high temperatures up to 700 °C were successfully conducted at the TESET facility, with the main components and piping designed and constructed using 316L SS.

Microstructure based model for creep of single crystal superalloys in the high temperature and low stress creep regime

A new constitutive creep model for Ni-base superalloys has been developed that links the instantaneous creep response to incremental microstructure changes occurring during creep. The structure starts with cuboidal γ′- particles embedded in the γ-phase, and transitions to a rafted structure. In the present Kocks-Mecking type of model, the dislocation density ρ is considered as a state variable that evolves during creep. The increase of ρ depends on the γ-channel width in the γ/γ′-microstructure. Recovery, i.e., the reduction of ρ, is modelled from thermally activated, mechanically assisted climb. The strain rate is also modelled from the very same recovery process. The model successfully describes creep curves in a range of temperatures and load stresses with a maximum of five physical parameters. Once the model has been calibrated, it can be used to predict creep curves for other temperatures, stresses, and microstructures if the channel width evolution is known. The model is even capable of making reasonable predictions when fitted only to a single experiment. Extrapolations to different alloys with moderately varying compositions are possible.