Low Stress Creep Research Articles

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.

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.

The influence of γ′ morphology and size on stress rupture properties in Ni-base superalloy IN738LC

This study investigates the influence of γ′ precipitate morphology and size on the creep deformation of the cast superalloy IN738LC under conditions of 760–982 °C and 78–674 MPa. Two microstructures were obtained by different heat treatments. The analysis of the experiments show that, according to the applied stress at 760 °C and 871 °C, the S1A material, with a bimodal distribution with large cuboidal γ′ and small spherical γ′, exhibited the longer creep life compared to those with a monomodal distribution with spherical γ′ precipitates. In the creep test at 760 °C, the S1A material exhibited a stacking fault within the primary cuboidal-shaped γ′ phase. The main deformation mechanism observed was isolated stacking fault (ISF) formation. Conversely, for the S2A material, an extended stacking fault (ESF) was observed, where dislocations continuously traversed several γ′ and γ phases. At 871 °C in low-stress creep tests, the S1A alloy displayed a dislocation network resulting from thermal activation, with localized stacking faults. In the S2A alloy, three-dimensional dislocations generated by climb were primarily observed around spherical γ′ precipitates, accompanied by localized stacking faults. At 982 °C, both S1A and S2A alloys exhibited rafting under lower stress, displaying similar lifetimes. The formation of a regular dislocation network at the interface between γ′ and γ matrix and rafting of γ′ precipitate proved beneficial in improved creep resistance of the alloy.

Yield stress anomaly and creep of single crystal Ni-base superalloys – Role of particle size

In the present work we subject the single crystal Ni-base superalloy ERBO1 (CMSX 4 type) to constant strain rate (CSR) and creep testing at temperatures between 1023 and 1223 K. Three material states are considered which have similar particle volume fractions >60% but differ in γ′-particle sizes (material states S, M and L of particle sizes: 240, 390 and 540 nm). In constant strain rate testing, a yield stress anomaly is observed for all three material states, with a yield stress maximum at 1073 K. This increase of strength with increasing temperature is not observed during creep testing at significantly lower deformation rates in this low temperature high stress creep regime, where different elementary deformation mechanisms govern CSR and creep behavior. In contrast, in the low stress high temperature creep regime, stress/strain rate data pairs from CSR creep tests both show decreasing strength with increasing temperature. It is found that in both types of tests the material state M shows the highest strength (highest yield stress and lowest creep rate). This can be rationalized based on a scenario where both, γ-channel and γ′-particle dislocation activities are important. Diffraction contrast transmission electron microscopy is used to study the relevant elementary deformation processes. Details of dislocation arrangements are discussed with a special focus on the role of Kear Wilsdorf (KW) locks, γ′-particle shearing by superlattice stacking faults (extrinsic and intrinsic) and dislocation climb.

Homogenization effects by Co additions to high temperature and low stress creep performance of a 4th-generation Ni-based single crystal superalloys

The important factors limiting the fourth-generation Ni-based single-crystal superalloys (Ni-SXs) are the increases in cost and density. A cheaper and lighter potential alternative element of Ru, Co's comprehensive effects were studied. The effects of Co and inhomogeneity between dendrite core (DC) and interdendritic region (ID) on creep performance at 1100 °C and 137 MPa in a 4th generation Ni-SXs were systematically investigated. The results show that the Ni-SXs with 9 wt% Co has the longest creep lifetime. Co additions alleviate the overall element segregations between DC and ID, especially Re, Cr, and W. And reverse partitioning behavior of Co also changes the partitioning ratio of elements between γ and γ′ phases, resulting in the inhibition of TCP phases precipitation for most creep time to avoid excessive consumption of solid solution strengthening elements and local stress concentration. The decrease of the lattice constant of γ reduces lattice misfit between γ and γ′ with the addition of Co, leading to the enlargement of dislocation network spacing and less resistance for movement or shearing of dislocation. The decrease of γ′ solvus temperature with Co addition promotes the dissolution of γ′ at high working temperature, resulting in severe topological inversion of γ/γ′ microstructures at ID. In addition, the main creep cracks of all Ni-SXs appear at ID, so the inhomogeneity between DC and ID is concerned.

Low stress creep response of PTFE sealants applied to PEM fuel cells

AbstractViscoelastic properties of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) play a crucial role in forecasting its long‐term behavior in engineering applications. An attempt is made to explore the viscoelastic properties of PTFE sealants that are utilized in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). It is to be noted that PTFE sealants are vulnerable to creep under constant loading at elevated temperatures. Moreover, the creep of sealants will lead to leakage of reactants from the cell, which affects the performance of PEMFC. PTFE is an excellent choice as a sealant material in low‐temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (LT‐PEMFC), which operates in the temperature range of 60–80°C. PTFE can be prominently used as sealants in high‐temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (HT‐PEMFC), as it possesses no significant change in its physical properties within the temperature range of −150 to 300°C along with the working conditions of HT‐PEMFC. In LT‐PEMFC, the sealants will typically be subjected to low stresses in the range of 1–5 MPa. In this article, the creep response of PTFE sealant material is extensively studied at various temperatures of 25 (room temperature), 35, 45, 55, and 65°C and at three stress levels of 2, 3, and 4 MPa. The time–temperature superposition principle is utilized to develop master curve at a reference temperature of 25°C, to forecast long‐term creep characteristics of PTFE sealants. Moreover, the master curve for creep compliance is developed for 4.5 h.

Misfit and the mechanism of high temperature and low stress creep of Ni-base single crystal superalloys

The present work proposes a new elementary deformation mechanism which governs high temperature and low stress creep of single crystal superalloys (SXs), where the misfit between the γ- and the γ′-phase plays a central role. In the coherent two phase SX microstructure, there is a tendency to minimize the overall elastic strain energy. This is accomplished by the formation of dislocation networks in the γ-phase close to the γ/γ’-interfaces. The stress fields of the network dislocations and misfit stresses accommodate each other to keep the overall strain energy of the system at a minimum. Previous work has shown that dynamic recovery is associated with knitting-out reactions, where dislocations from the network shear the γ’-phase and annihilate with dislocations of opposite sign on the other side of the γ’-phase region. Due to the presence of the misfit this results in an increase of elastic strain energy which is counteracted by coupled knitting-in reactions where newly arriving γ-channel dislocations re-establish the minimum energy configuration. Here we provide microstructural evidence for knitting-out and knitting-in reactions and show that while these reactions clearly occur, dislocation network spacings stay constant. The misfit between the γ- and the γ′-phase accounts for a constant network spacing. Dislocation networks are not static but represent dynamic steady state equilibrium structures in an evolving microstructure. Knitting regular networks requires climb processes which are suggested to be rate controlling. This new view of high temperature and low stress creep mechanism of SXs allows to rationalize previous results published in the literature.

Approach for accurately characterizing nonlinear viscoelastic and nonrecoverable properties of asphalt binders based on MSCR test

The multiple stress creep and recovery (MSCR) test has been widely accepted as a more practical method for accessing the rutting performance of asphalt binders than the conventional Superpave rutting factor test. Nevertheless, there still exists a major concern that 9-s recovery time in each cycle may not guarantee a sufficient recovery of the recoverable viscoelastic strain, especially for modified asphalts, and this could result in a potential inaccuracy in characterizing rutting resistance of binders. To effectively separate the recoverable nonlinear viscoelastic (NLVE) and nonrecoverable responses in the MSCR test, this paper presents a new approach that adopts an additional one-cycle low-stress creep and recovery (LSCR) test and the Schapery’s NLVE model in analyzing the MSCR test data. The LSCR test, covering the entire duration of the MSCR test (200 s), can well determine the linear viscoelastic (LVE) recoverable properties that the Schapery’s model requires for NLVE analysis. The results show that with the recoverable and nonrecoverable responses accurately isolated, the proposed approach rigorously redefines the indicators of the percent recovery R and nonrecoverable creep compliance Jnr in the MSCR test, and therefore effectively eliminates the inaccuracy of the original indicators caused by incomplete recovery of the recoverable strain component in each cycle. Also, the developed method exactly characterizes stress dependence and permanent deformation resistance of asphalt binder, thus offering an effective and accurate approach for high-temperature performance evaluation of asphalt binders.

A simplified log creep model for describing triaxial creep of mélange rocks

This study aims to develop a simplified log creep model (LgCM) for predicting the triaxial three-stage creep behaviors of mélange rocks. The model was deduced from the creep deformation mechanism by considering the competition of strain rate hardening and damage during the steady and accelerating creep stages and was described by two simplified fractal functions. The model was then compared with the previous creep models on the uniaxial three-stage creep data of mortar, rock salt, and sandy shale, as well as the triaxial low-stress creep data of claystone. Afterward, the triaxial creep experimental results of the mélange rock samples were introduced to illustrate the process of calibrating the model in predicting the triaxial three-stage creep behaviors of mélange rocks. It was found the developed LgCM model showed good performance in predicting both the uniaxial and triaxial three-stage creep behaviors of rocks. The investigation reveals that the trend of the parameter β can indicate three thresholds of the hardening and damaging effects, and provide the equation to reproduce the creep behavior of the mélange rock. The work contributes to understanding the time-dependent failure of underground rock mass in mélange rock formations.

Long-term sinking of nuclear waste canisters in salt formations by low-stress creep at high temperature

Rock salt has a self-sealing capacity, low permeability, and high thermal conductivity, making it a potential host for heat-generating nuclear waste. The feasibility of nuclear waste disposal within salt formations has been investigated mostly for small-sized canisters. Geologic disposal of larger-sized canisters originally designed for spent fuel storage and transportation has lately been examined as a cost-effective alternative. This raises questions about their long-term vertical movement due to their weight and high decay heat. Low-stress creep governs this movement; however, most salt constitutive models do not incorporate it. In this paper, the Norton and the WIPP creep models are compared with the Lux/Wolters/Lerche (LWL) model and a simpler model that combines linear and Norton creep laws (named combined creep model). The LWL and combined creep models consider pressure solution creep, though all incorporate dislocation creep. The models are first applied to creep tests under various stress levels. The LWL and the combined creep models results fit the experimental data well in both high and low stress ranges, whereas the Norton and WIPP models results only fit in higher-stress ranges. The different models are further applied for analyzing long-term canister movement. A sinking rate of -4.4times 10^{-7} mm/year was predicted using the Norton and WIPP models versus -2.1times 10^{-2} mm/year and -3.1times 10^{-2} mm/year using the LWL and the combined creep models, respectively. This comparative study confirms that creep models calibrated exclusively against high-deviatoric stress data might result in an inaccurate estimation of waste packages sinking rate in salt formations.

Creep strengthening mechanisms of a superlattice γ′-strengthened Co–Al–W–Ta–Ti single crystal superalloy at steady-state conditions under compressive stresses

The strengthening mechanism of steady-state creep is a critical factor in developing advanced superalloys. In this study, the steady-state creep mechanisms of a superlattice γ′-strengthened Co–Al–W–Ta–Ti single crystal superalloy are investigated with the creep conditions of 750 °C/800 MPa, 900 °C/420 MPa and 1000 °C/137 MPa. Results suggest that the microstructures of steady-state creep samples are significantly different under the above three experimental conditions. A detailed TEM study shows that, Lomer-Cottrell locks and stacking faults interactions are responsible for the low creep rate at low temperature and high stress creep regime, dislocations cross-slip and the dislocation tangles contribute the main creep resistance at intermediate temperatures and moderate stress creep regime, interactions of stacking faults and dislocation networks are the strengthening mechanism for the high temperature and low stress creep regime. The steady-state creep rate of investigated alloy follows the classical power law equation, and the creep activation energy calculated by the power law equation is 378.46 kJ/mol. The results of this study provide insights into the effects of temperature and stress on steady-state creep mechanisms, and high activation energy makes the γ′-strengthened Co–Al–W–Ta–Ti single crystal superalloy an attractive candidate for further study as a high temperature structural material.

Periclase deforms more slowly than bridgmanite under mantle conditions

Transport of heat from the interior of the Earth drives convection in the mantle, which involves the deformation of solid rocks over billions of years. The lower mantle of the Earth is mostly composed of iron-bearing bridgmanite MgSiO3 and approximately 25% volume periclase MgO (also with some iron). It is commonly accepted that ferropericlase is weaker than bridgmanite1. Considerable progress has been made in recent years to study assemblages representative of the lower mantle under the relevant pressure and temperature conditions2,3. However, the natural strain rates are 8 to 10 orders of magnitude lower than in the laboratory, and are still inaccessible to us. Once the deformation mechanisms of rocks and their constituent minerals have been identified, it is possible to overcome this limitation thanks to multiscale numerical modelling, and to determine rheological properties for inaccessible strain rates. In this work we use 2.5-dimensional dislocation dynamics to model the low-stress creep of MgO periclase at lower mantle pressures and temperatures. We show that periclase deforms very slowly under these conditions, in particular, much more slowly than bridgmanite deforming by pure climb creep. This is due to slow diffusion of oxygen in periclase under pressure. In the assemblage, this secondary phase hardly participates in the deformation, so that the rheology of the lower mantle is very well described by that of bridgmanite. Our results show that drastic changes in deformation mechanisms can occur as a function of the strain rate.

Warm Mix Asphalt Binder Utilizing Water Foaming and Fluxing Using Bio-Derived Agent.

The present paper investigates the effects of simultaneous mechanical foaming using water and fluxing with a bio-derived agent on the properties of three distinct asphalt binders: 50/70 paving-grade bitumen, 45/80-55 polymer-modified bitumen, and 45/80-80 highly modified asphalt binder. The testing involved classical tests for assessing binder consistency (penetration at 25 °C, ring and ball softening point, Fraass breaking point, and dynamic viscosity) as well as performance tests (high and low Superpave critical temperatures and multiple stress creep recovery). The tests included assessment directly after asphalt binder foaming and were repeated after a 14-day period. It was shown that bitumen foaming had only short-term effects on the asphalt binders, which did not persist in the repeated tests after 14 days. The fluxing agent that was utilized caused significant changes in the consistency of all asphalt binders. The changes in the performance characteristics of the 50/70 and 45/80-55 binders were severe and amounted to a significant decrease in high-temperature performance of these binders. On the other hand, an improvement in all performance characteristics in the case of the 45/80-80 asphalt binder was observed as a result of the applied processes, particularly when measured 14 days after foaming. This study shows that the simultaneous use of foaming and the fluxing additive decreased the dynamic viscosity of the 45/80-80 binder, while improving its properties relating the pavement performance.

Microstructure-sensitive modeling of high temperature creep in grade-91 alloy

Predicting the effects of microstructure on high-temperature creep responses of steel components is critical to minimize the risks of failure and maximize economic viability in the energy sector. In this work, a recently developed advanced mechanistic constitutive model is employed to study the effect of microstructure on the creep responses and to rationalize experimentally reported variability in the performances of grade-91 alloy. Hundreds of experimental creep tests from the literature are used to assess the predictability of the model. The model proposed is shown to accurately predict the steady-state creep rates and also the less commonly considered, yet important, primary-to-secondary transients for a wide range of creep conditions. Further, the model is capable of extrapolating the creep response of grade 91 alloy even outside of the calibration regime. Using this model, the roles of initial microstructure described in terms of grain size, dislocation density, and precipitate content, on the creep responses are investigated. The effect of initial microstructure on the steady-state creep rates and creep-strain is found to vary with stress and temperature. Grain size plays a significant role in the low-stress creep, where the diffusional creep is dominant. On the other hand, the effects of dislocation densities and precipitate content are significant in the dislocation-plasticity-dominated high-stress and temperature regimes. Furthermore, by comparing model predictions against a large experimental creep database, it is found that variability in the creep responses can be rationalized on the basis of differences in the initial microstructure. Overall, this work provides a robust pathway for microstructure-aware engineering design, verification, and validation of metallic components for energy applications.

On the effect of Ru upon creep behaviour and dislocation evolution in Ni-based single crystal superalloys

Ni-based single crystal superalloys are important structural materials especially for high temperature applications. As one of the key elements added in Ni-based single crystal superalloys, Ru can significantly alter the creep performance of Ni-based single crystal superalloys at high temperatures. The exact role of Ru upon creep behaviour is still under debate, and current research of Ru effect has mainly focused on the change of misfit, inverse partitioning of elements and suppression of topological-close packed phases. Since creep properties are closely associated with dislocation behaviour, in the present work, special focus is placed on the effect of Ru upon the dislocation evolution at high temperature and low stress creep regime. By employing both interrupted and fractured creep tests and corresponding scanning transmission electron microscopy analysis, microstructural and dislocation evolution were systematically investigated after creep test. An addition of 2 wt% of Ru significantly enhances the creep life, and this Ru effect is mainly attributed to the formation of mature dislocation network along with suppression of topological close-packed phases. This work provides further insight into superalloy design for choosing the potential solute elements, aiming for improved creep properties. Data AvailabilityThe raw/processed data required to reproduce these findings cannot be shared at this time as the data also forms part of an ongoing study.

Creep Fracture Mechanism of a Single Crystal Nickel Base Alloy Under High Temperature and Low Stress

This paper reports the creep behavior of a nickel-based single crystal alloy and the creep fracture mechanism under high temperature and low stress was discussed. The creep curves were analyzed with the Kelvin model. The retardation spectra suggest that the involved atoms during creep need more relaxation time to achieve the viscous flow, nevertheless, the creep under the stress of 120 MPa may be caused by the mismatch of dislocation motion and visco-plastic deformation. The fracture morphologies of crept alloys indicate that the nickel base single crystal alloy presents micro-pore aggregation fracture mechanism under the condition of high temperature and low stress creep.

The effect of applied stress on the high-temperature creep behaviour and microstructure of NiMoCr Hastelloy-N® alloy

The high-temperature creep behaviour and microstructural evolution of Hastelloy-N® was investigated using miniaturised creep samples tested under vacuum at 973 K (700 °C) and stresses of 100 MPa and 165 MPa. The higher applied stress reduced the creep life of the alloy sevenfold, and the creep mechanism at 165 MPa was predominately dislocation-creep while the creep mechanism at 100 MPa was a combination of dislocation creep, diffusion creep and grain boundary sliding. The post-creep microstructure examination using Electron Back-Scatter Diffraction (EBSD) technique showed significantly larger number of Low-Angle Grain Boundaries (LAGBs) and Geometrically-Necessary Dislocations (GNDs) formed during creep at 165 MPa than at 100 MPa. On the other hand, the microstructure of the sample tested at 100 MPa revealed more pronounced precipitation of secondary carbides along High-Angle Grain Boundaries (HAGBs) due to the longer exposure to high temperature. The precipitation of secondary carbides along grain boundaries resulted in grain boundary embrittlement and the promotion of intergranular cracking, which then resulted in low strain-to-failure in the low-stress creep test sample. In addition, it is shown that the prolonged exposure to the elevated temperature lead to Cr depletion from the matrix, reducing solid solution strengthening during creep.

Effect of interface dislocations on mass flow during high temperature and low stress creep of single crystal Ni-base superalloys

In this work, the nanometer-scale mass flow coupled to dislocation processes near the γ/γ′-interface during high temperature and low stress creep of a model Ni-base single crystal superalloy is investigated. In the early creep stages, the dislocation networks in the γ-phase at γ/γ′-interfaces attract γ-stabilizing elements like Cr, Co and in particular Re, resulting in compositional gradients close to the interface. At larger strains, where dislocations frequently cut into the γ′-phase, this local interfacial enrichment in these elements is no longer observed. The cutting dislocations take part of the segregated atoms away, whilst the remaining atoms are released and diffuse back into the γ-channels.

On the stress and temperature dependence of low temperature and high stress shear creep in Ni-base single crystal superalloys

In the present work, we investigate the stress and temperature dependence of low-temperature (750 ± 20 °C) and high-stress (300 ± 20 MPa) shear creep of a Ni-base single crystal superalloy. From continuous isothermal experiments and stress and temperature change tests the stress exponent n and the apparent activation energy Qapp of the phenomenological Sherby-Dorn equation were determined for the two macroscopic crystallographic shear systems (MCSS) [011¯](111) and [112¯](111). The activation parameters of creep, the stress exponents and the apparent activation energies were identified as 16 and 620 kJ/mol (MCSS: [011¯](111)) and 14 and 460 kJ/mol (MCSS: [112¯](111)). We show that during shear creep testing these phenomenological parameters do not change between the early (0.5–1% strain) and later stages of creep (4.5–5% strain), in contrast to what was observed for uniaxial tensile testing. The results are discussed in the light of what is known about stress and temperature dependencies of deformation rates in the creep literature and in view of the recent work by Bürger et al., 2020, who combined shear creep testing with analytical transmission electron microscopy to identify the elementary deformation mechanism, which governs low temperature and high stress creep.

On the Interrupted Creep Test Under Low Stress Levels for the Power Law Parameter Extraction

Abstract Low stress interrupted creep test, as an interim compromise, can provide essential data for creep deformation design. However, there are no clear guidelines on the characterization of the terminating time for interrupted low-stress creep test. To obtain a suitable terminating time in terms of economy and effectiveness, long-term creep strain data of 9%Cr steels are collected from literatures and their creep deformation characterization is analyzed. First, the variations of normalized time and strain of each creep stage with the stress level are discussed. Then, the effect of the terminating time on final fitted results of Norton–Bailey equation is estimated. Third, the relationship between demarcation points at different creep stages and minimum/steady-state creep rate is analyzed. The results indicate that when the creep rupture life is considered as an important factor for creep design, the tertiary creep stage is of greatest significance due to the largest life fraction and creep strain fraction at low stress level. However, the primary and secondary creep stages are of great significance for design due to their larger contribution to 1% limited creep strain. And the long-term secondary creep data could be extrapolated by combining the primary creep strain data obtained from interrupted creep tests with the time to onset of tertiary creep derived from a similar Monkman–Grant relationship.