Stress Exponent Values Research Articles

Nanoindentation creep response of Ti–6Al–4V ELI alloy manufactured via laser powder bed fusion

The anisotropic creep response in both the XY and XZ planes of Ti–6Al–4V ELI manufactured by powder bed fusion (PBF) was examined under nanoindentation creep loading at room temperature, ranging from nm to μm scales. The stress exponent values of 4.06–4.30, rationalised through threshold stress, indicate that the creep behaviour is primarily dominated by dislocation gliding. Creep displacement results show that the anisotropic creep behaviour in the XY and XZ planes of the as-built, and heat treatment enhances the creep resistance of the XZ plane, while there is no significant difference in creep displacement between the as-built and heat-treated XY planes. Due to the higher dislocation density and compressive residual stress in the XY plane compared to the XZ plane, the creep resistance is higher in the XY plane for the as-built. It is highlighted that compressive residual stress is more relieved in the XY plane than in the XZ plane through heat treatment. The heat treatment results in improved creep resistance due to the formation of the Widmanstätten structure and β precipitates, which can impede dislocation movement under creep loading. The combination of residual stress and microstructural effects leads to anisotropic creep behaviour, suggesting that the anisotropy is inherited from the additive manufacturing process at micron scales.

The role of phase transformation (tetragonal – spinel) on the structural and mechanical properties of Ni doped CuFe2O4

Nano-ferrites of Cu1–xNixFe2O4 (x = 0 to 1 with step 0.2) system was synthesized utilizing the flash auto combustion process annealed at 600oC for 3 h. The structural characterization for synthesized samples was carried out using x-ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier transition infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The hardness of the prepared material was measured using micro-indentation creep technology. XRD pattern verified the creation of a single-phase cubic spinel structure. The undesired CuO phase forms around \\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\:2\ heta\\:={50}^{^\\circ\\:}\\:$$\\end{document}for pure Copper ferrite and decreases with increasing Ni content. The average crystalline size decreases from 27.92 nm to 13.28 nm by doping process from x = 0.2 to x = 1 which retards the growth of crystalline size. FTIR spectra are distinguished by the presence of two prominent absorption bands, ν2 for the octahedral site and ν1 for the tetrahedral site, in the range of approximately 593 and 471 cm− 1, respectively. FTIR analysis verified the formation of the ferrite system’s spinel structure. The TEM images show a nanocrystalline nature with some agglomeration and the crystallites are spherical in shape which their sizes are agrees well with that obtained from XRD measurements. The hardness decreases as the dwell time increases. The hardness and yield strength (Y) values were significantly improved due to the decrease in the crystallite size after Ni doping. The stress exponent (n) value increases by increasing Ni content which means that the mechanical properties improved due to increment of resistance.

Creep properties of heat-resistant ultrafine-grained Al (HITEMAL©) determined by small punch testing

The creep properties of thermally stable ultrafine-grained Al metal matrix composite strengthened and stabilized by continuous in situ amorphous Al2O3 network (named HITEMAL©) prepared by powder metallurgy (PM) were tested by small punch creep testing (SPCT) in the temperature range from 573 to 673 K. The experimental SPCT results were correlated and compared with the results obtained by conventional tensile creep testing. The mutual correlation between tensile and SPCT creep results based on the transition stress was proposed and used to correctly interpret the measured SPCT data. The creep behaviour of HITEMAL© is characterized by the high values of apparent stress exponents and by the presence of transition stress at which the apparent stress exponents significantly changed. The SPCT discs fractured by the radial cracks at low values of deflection with only limited creep deformation highly localized in the vicinity of the fracture surfaces. The detailed analysis of fractured SPCT discs by scanning electron microscopy showed ductile dimpled fracture surfaces with the presence of unusual high filament-like tearing edges. The comparison of obtained results with other PM Al-based alloys and composites confirmed a significantly higher creep performance of HITEMAL© at used testing conditions.

A good balance between the efficiency of ionizing radiation shielding and mechanical performance of various tin-based alloys: Comparative analysis

The Sn-Bix (x = 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70%) radiation shielding alloys were prepared using a melting process of the alloying material in a ceramic crucible at 200 °C for 120 min. The structural characterization for synthesized samples was carried out using X-ray Diffraction technique (XRD). The hardness and elastic properties of the prepared alloys was measured using micro-indentation creep technology and tensile test machine respectively. XRD pattern indicated that that the crystal size of Sn phase is lowered by increasing Bi concentration in the Sn matrix. The hardness decreases as the dwell time increases. The hardness values and elastic properties (in terms of young modulus) were significantly improved due to the decrease in the crystallite size by increasing Bi content. The stress exponent (n) value increase by increasing Bi content which mean that the mechanical properties improved due to increment of resistance. Furthermore, the produced alloys' nuclear shielding ability was investigated. The μm values were calculated using MCNP simulation code and XCOM software over a broad energy range of 0.015 MeV–15 MeV with good agreement between them. Several characteristics are estimated in order to properly understand the researched alloy's radiation and properties of neutron shielding. The findings showed that a higher Bi concentration causes the crystal size to decrease, improving the radiation shielding and mechanical qualities. The alloy Sn-70% Bi has a maximum increase of vicker hardness, tensile strength, and young's modulus. The findings of the shielding parameters indicate that the alloys under study are efficient gamma shielding materials in contrast to other typical shielding materials and materials that have been examined recently. The highest mechanical efficiency and rather strong gamma-ray shielding capabilities are found in the Sn–70Bi alloy. Owing to its ability to effectively balance mechanical performance and shielding, the Sn–70Bi are approved for use in radiation protection. In addition, when compared to all other manufactured alloys, typical neutron shielding materials, and recently investigated materials, the results further demonstrate that the Sn–70Bi alloy has the best neutron attenuation capability. Furthermore, in terms of mass stopping power (MSP) and projected range (PR), the Sn–70Bi alloy demonstrates the most effective attenuation for alpha particles (He+2) and protons (H+1). These results imply that the Sn–70Bi alloy provide superior mechanical performance and nuclear shielding for a range of applications including industrial, medicinal, and nuclear waste storage in the future.

Influence of Temperature on Creep Resistance, Structural and Electrical Characteristics of S9Z1 Eutectic Alloys

In the present study, the structural and creep resistance properties of S9Z1 alloys with Cu-addition in concentrations (0.1 and 0.3% Wt.) have been investigated using x-ray diffractions (XRD) and Creep testing machine respectively. The three samples were prepared from high purity 99.99% by melting technique in the Pyrex tubs with CaCl<sub>2</sub> to invaded the oxidation. The obtained samples were rolled drawn (cold rolling) into two groups. The first group was as wires for the creep resistance testing. The second group was as small sheets for structural investigations. Patterns of XRD showed that the S9Z1 alloy was primarily composed of two phases; a body centered tetragonal β-Sn matrix phase, and a secondary phase of hexagonal Zn. while with addition Cu (0.1 and 0.3% Wt.) to S9Z1 Alloys the results showed new peaks in the ternary compositions, such as Cu<sub>6</sub>Sn<sub>5</sub>, Cu<sub>5</sub>Zn<sub>8</sub>, phases respectively. The average of particle size (D) of β-Sn matrix was decreased with increasing Cu -adding, whereas the dislocation density (δ) increased with increasing addition. Creep properties of S9Z1, S9Z2 and 3 Alloys were examined at different temperatures (25, 40 and 80°C) under two constant loads (σ= 18.7 and 24.94 MPa). The creep behaviors of ternary alloys were higher than the S9Z1 alloys with all different temperatures under two constant loads. Also, the S9Z3 alloy with all different temperatures and two loads exhibited greatest creep resistance, due to the refinement structure and formation of new IMCs. Values of stress exponent (n) were found to be in the range of 1 to 10.55, for all S9Z2 and 3 alloys respectively. Values of activation energy (Q) of alloys were found to be in the range of 36.48 to 37.49 kJ/mol, for σ = 18.7 Mpa and 27 to 34.8 kJ/mol for σ = 24.94 Mpa for the S9Z1 alloys with Cu addition respectively. At room temperature (25°C), the electrical conductivity of the samples was calculated, and its values increased with Cu additions.

Hot deformation characteristics and processing map analysis of Al-Zn/stainless steel particles-based composite

The hot deformation behavior of Al-Zn/martensitic stainless steel particles-based composite (Al-Zn/6 %SSp), was examined in this study. The composite was tested using isothermal compression at 200–350 °C/0.01–10 s−1 and a global strain of 0.5. From the results, it was noticed that the composite’s flow stress increased with strain rate increase and drop in temperature. The constitutive equation from the hot-worked composites resulted in an estimated activation energy of 226.27 kJ/mol, which was 58 % more than that for the self-diffusion of aluminum alloy (142 kJ/mol). These findings suggest dynamic recrystallization (DRX) as the dominant deformation mechanism, as confirmed from the microstructures of the hot worked samples mostly at high temperatures and strain rates. Work hardening was predicted to dominate the deformation process by the stress exponent (n) value of 10.36 (which exceeded 5), but this was inconsistent with the microstructural observations. Comparing the linear fitting of calculated flow stress data with the estimated flow stress yielded a correlation coefficient (R2) of approximately 0.97. This observation demonstrates an effective relationship involving the calculated stress with the computed stress value for the composite material that was fabricated. Based on the processing map analysis, the instability regime occurs at 200270 °C/0.01–10 s−1. The stable domain established was at 280–340◦C/0.01–10 s−1 which is most suitable for achieving the best microstructural conditions for enhanced service performance.

Microstructure, hardness, electrical, and thermal conductivity of SZCN solder reinforced with TiO2 and ZrO2 nanoparticles fabricated by powder metallurgy method

The microstructure and characterization of Sn–Zn–Cu–Ni (SZCN) solder alloy reinforced with TiO2 and ZrO2 nanoparticles (NPs) synthesized by powder metallurgy were investigated. Sn, Zn, Cu and Ni metallic powders were mixed mechanical by 10:1 ball to powder ratio with 300 rpm speed for 2 h. Then 0.5 wt% from nano ZrO2 or TiO2 was mixed by the same parameters with the mixed metal powder. The morphologies and microstructures development during the fabrication process was investigated by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), optical microscope (OM), and scanning electron microscope (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX). The results reveal an improved distribution of TiO2 or ZrO2 NPs in the SZCN matrix solder, which resulted in an improvement in its density. The analyses of microstructural demonstrated that the addition of TiO2 or ZrO2 NPs to SZCN solder results in the grain refinement of the β-Sn phase, besides the formation of Ni3Sn IMC with small size and uniform distribution. The microhardness was enhanced as a result of the addition of TiO2 or ZrO2 NPs. The experimental results showed that the SZCN-ZrO2 composite solder had the greatest hardness and stress exponent values due to its effectiveness in suppressing the growth of β-Sn grains and the pile-up of dislocations. Both the electrical and thermal conductivities were improved by incorporating TiO2 NPs compared to other solders.

Micromechanical and microstructure evolution of leaded (SnPb) and lead-free (SAC305 and SnCu) mixed solder joints during isothermal aging

This paper studies how isothermal aging affects the micromechanical and structural properties of mixed solder joints made of 60Sn-40Pb (SnPb) with Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu (SAC305) and SnPb with Sn-0.7Cu (SnCu). The nanoindentation test was done to measure the micromechanical properties of SnPb/SAC305 and SnPb/SnCu mixed solder joints. These properties are hardness, reduced modulus, and stress exponent. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to look at the microstructure of a cross-section of mixed solder joints. The micrographs that were taken were then examined with open-source image processing software called ImageJ. It was found that the rate and distribution of intermetallic compound (IMC) formation and the reduction of Sn-rich phase grain size affect how the hardness and stress exponent values of mixed solder joints change after 1000 h of high temperature storage (HTS). ImageJ analysis shows that the Pb-rich phase particle count and distribution can be used to figure out how mixed solder joints respond to indentation creep and how that relates to isothermal aging. Using ImageJ, it’s clear that the indentation creep behavior of the GBS mechanism of an as soldered SnPb/SnCu mixed solder joint is caused by the highest number and size of Pb-rich phase particles that are not well distributed across the dendritic area of Sn-rich phase grain boundaries.

High temperature nanoindentation of (U,Ce)O2 compounds

Continuing to refine our knowledge of the evolving mechanical properties of nuclear fuel over the entire fuel service cycle is necessary to understand the pellet-clad mechanical interaction that occurs in the fuel rods during the operation. A challenge with measuring the mechanical properties of irradiated fuels is their high levels of radioactivity that usually require the use of hot cells making testing time consuming and expensive. Nanoindentation based techniques can be employed on minute volumes of material to measure mechanical properties, including Young’s modulus, hardness, and creep stress exponents. Increasing the mixed oxide fuels mechanical properties database through a variety of testing techniques should enhance modelers’ abilities to predict failure mechanisms in the fuel/clad interface. A current challenge to testing mixed oxide fuels is the plutonium component in the fuel. Mixed fluorite type oxides with ceria (CeO2) can be used as a surrogate for mixed oxide fuels. In this study, (U,Ce)O2 solid solutions samples are used to develop elevated temperature nanoindentation and nanoindentation creep testing methods for use on mixed oxide fuels. Nanoindentation testing was performed on 3 separate (Ux-1,Cex)O2 compounds ranging from x equals 0.1 to 0.3 in equal steps at temperatures up to 800 °C: their Young’s modulus, hardness, and creep stress exponents were evaluated. The Young’s modulus decreases in the expected linear manner while the hardness decreases in the expected exponential manner. The nanoindentation creep experiments at 800 °C give stress exponent values, n = 4.7–6.9, that suggests dislocation motion as the deformation mechanism.

An Investigation of the Effect of Wide Range Gamma Radiation from Nanoindentation of the SAC305 Solder Alloy

This study utilises nanoindentation testing to investigate the impact of varying gamma radiation doses on the micromechanical properties of Sn-Ag-Cu (SAC) alloy. Specifically, the focus is on evaluating changes in hardness, reduced modulus, and creep behaviour. The stencil-printed method and reflow soldering process were employed to apply the SAC solder paste and create solder joints on the surface of the printed circuit board. The soldered samples underwent exposure to gamma radiation at different doses, specifically 5, 50, 500, 5000, and 50000 Gy. The solder received in its original state was used as the control sample. Subsequently, the samples were subjected to a nanoindentation test in order to ascertain the correlation between load and depth, depth and dwell time, when exposed to radiation. The load-depth curve results indicate that there is a transition in the behaviour of solder joint materials from elastic to plastic deformation as the radiation dose increases. A finding has been made indicating that exposure to gamma radiation has the potential to induce a transition in the behaviour of SAC from an elastic state to a plastic state. The exposure to radiation doses has been found to induce changes in the atomic arrangement and structural properties of materials, leading to an increase in their hardness values. Nevertheless, it was observed that with increasing radiation doses up to 500 Gy, there was a noticeable decrease in the hardness value, which can be attributed to the occurrence of softening behaviour. Exposure to a high dose exceeding 5000 Gy leads to atomic displacement and transmutation products, subsequently resulting in plastic deformation. The stress exponent value signifies the occurrence of the deformation mechanism in solder material when exposed to gamma radiation. The study revealed that there was a shift in the deformation mechanism from grain boundary sliding to dislocation climb as the radiation dose increased from low to high levels.

Effect of Ag interlayer on the microstructural properties and nanocreep behavior of Ti6Al4V/AA7075 dissimilar laser weldments

Creep failure poses a potential risk in dissimilar welded joints between aluminum and titanium alloys, potentially compromising the joint's integrity. This study utilizes laser beam welding (LBW) to achieve dissimilar joining of AA7075 and Ti6Al4V by incorporating an Ag interlayer. The role of Ag interlayer for dissimilar joining of AA7075 and Ti6Al4V alloys and its impact on the microstructure and nanocreep behavior of joints is examined. The findings showed that the use of Ag decreased the interaction of Ti/Al considerably with each other which led to a reduction in the formation of brittle intermetallic compounds. The nanohardness and atomic force microscopy (AFM) results indicated that the Ti6Al4V HAZ exhibited the highest hardness and least plastic deformation, owing to the formation of α′ martensite. The nanoindentation creep analysis revealed the highest stress exponent value in Ti6Al4V HAZ, pointing to a dislocation climb creep mechanism. Additionally, the results also suggested that the observed creep mechanism might be attributed to both diffusional creep and dislocation climb for other zones.

High‐Temperature Creep Behavior of Selective‐Laser‐Melting‐Fabricated Lattice Structures Inspired from Euplectella Aspergillum

In this study, the lattice‐like arrangement of Euplectella aspergillum is used to derive bionic grid‐stiffened structures in the form of thin tubes. The bionic tubes are 3D printed with AlSi10Mg alloy using a selective laser melting process. High‐temperature creep behavior at 250 °C and stress (0.3–0.7) times yield strength of the tubes is studied under uniaxial constant compressive load. The effect of the stress level, temperature, and tube design on the creep performance and deformation behavior is studied. The creep performance of bioinspired tubes is compared with honeycomb lattice tubes. In the results, the dependence of creep life and creep rate on the design of the bionic tubes is shown. E. aspergillum–based thin tubes show higher creep life and lower creep rate as compared to honeycomb‐based tubes at all stress levels. Also, the creep curves of lattice structures based thin tubes are different than the solid material, especially in the primary and tertiary regions. The fractography analysis shows higher creep life in E. aspergillum–inspired thin tubes is due to the improvement in ductility at high temperature. The stress exponent value in the Mukherjee–Bird–Dorn equation shows that the mechanism of creep is diffusion. Herein, in the results, it is shown that the bioinspiration and additive manufacturing provide an opportunity to design and fabricate advanced iso‐grids structures.

Enhancing the creep resistance of a cast AZ91 alloy via minor Sc addition

The influence of 0.2 wt% Sc addition on the microstructure and creep characteristics of a cast AZ91 magnesium alloy was studied by impression creep tests under the constant punch stresses ranging from 175 to 700 MPa in the temperature range 425–525 K. The findings indicated that creep rates decreased at all stress levels and temperatures after Sc addition. This was ascribed to the formation of the thermally stable Al3Sc and Mg5Al4Sc particles, reduction in the quantity of the unstable β-Mg17Al12 phase, and solid solution strengthening of Al in the Mg matrix. The creep stress exponent and activation energy values obtained from the studied alloys ranged from 5–6 and 95–117 kJ/mol, respectively. The detected drop in creep activation energy with increasing stress implies that two concurrent mechanisms of dislocation climb controlled by lattice and pipe-diffusion are competing with each other. The former one was the governing mechanism at low stress levels, while the latter one was the prevailing mechanism in the high stress regimes.

Hyperbolic–sine constitutive model determined hot deformation mechanisms and workability response of Al–Zn/Cu and Al–Zn/SiC based composites

The response to hot deformation of Al–Zn - based composites reinforced with copper (Al–Zn/6Cu) and silicon carbide (Al–Zn/8SiC) particles was investigated. The composites were fabricated using two-step stir-casting process, and subjected to hot–compression testing at various deformation temperatures ranging from 250 to 350 °C, strain rates of 0.01, to 10s–1, and a total strain of 0.5. The deformation data were modeled using hyperbolic–sine equations with microstructural analysis conducted for validation of deformation mechanisms. The results show that the Al–Zn/Cu reinforced composites exhibited relatively higher plastic flow resistance in comparison with the Al–Zn/8SiC composite and the Al–Zn alloy. The microstructures of the deformed composites revealed the presence of deformation bands, indicating the persistence of work hardening during the hot deformation process. The activation energies data obtained at peak stress for the Al–Zn/6Cu was 26.2% higher than that for self–diffusion of Aluminium alloy (QSD ∼142 kJ/mol), suggesting that dynamic recrystallization (DRX) was the governing softening mechanism; however, this was inconsistent with microstructural evidence which suggested a predominance of work hardening. The value of the QHW, for Al–Zn/8SiC composite was 20.7% lower than that for self–diffusion of Aluminium alloy, suggesting dynamic recovery (DRV)as the deformation governing mechanism which was upheld by the microstructures. The stress exponent (n) values exceeded 5 for all compositions, which suggested that work hardening predominates over both DRX and DRV, and this was supported by the microstructure of the hot deformed samples. The stress exponent was noted to yield a more consistent and reliable prediction of the deformation mechanism than the activation energy parameter.

Evaluation of room temperature creep deformation of in situ Fe-based bulk metallic glass nanocomposites by instrumented indentation

In the present work, Fe57Cr9Mo5B16P7C6 (at. %) in situ bulk metallic glass nanocomposites of varying crystallinity, i.e. 0 to 80 vol. %, were synthesized by spark plasma sintering. Room temperature indentation creep behaviour of these composites was evaluated with nanoindentation technique. Effect of crystalline phase content on overall creep behaviour of the BMG composites was evaluated. Creep resistance of the BMG composites was improved with increase in the amount of crystalline phases up to 40 vol. %. Improved creep resistance is attributed to the presence of nanocrystalline phases in amorphous matrix and lower defect concentration in the BMG composite samples. However, excess crystallinity imparted brittleness and resulted in poor creep performance of the BMG composites. Derived stress exponent values are significantly lesser for the BMG composite sample in comparison to the amorphous compact indicating the transition in the mode of plastic deformation from inhomogeneous to nearly homogeneous. Loading rate has more pronounced influence on final creep displacement of fully amorphous sample in comparison to that of BMG composite.

Development of creep resistant high yttria 18Cr ferritic ODS steel through hot powder forging route

The present work reports the creep behaviour of a high yttria Fe-18Cr-2W-0.57Ti-1Y2O3 (all compositions in wt.%) ferritic oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) steel produced by powder forging. The creep tests were carried out in a temperature range of 873 K to1023K and a stress range of 150 MPa to 425 MPa. Creep data is analysed using the power law creep equation. A large value of stress exponents (n ∼ 10 at 873 K, ∼ 18 at 923 K and 8.5 at 973 K) and a high activation energy (Q ∼581 kJ/mol) are obtained. These high values are attributed to threshold stress (σth) generated due to attractive interaction between dislocation and oxide particles. Threshold stress for different creep conditions was determined. True stress exponent values of 4 to 5 were obtained after accounting for the threshold stress. Electron back scattered diffraction (EBSD) revealed an equiaxed strain free grain structure in the powder forged ODS steel. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of creep tested samples indicates that microstructure remains stable after creep with no significant coarsening of nano size oxide particles. Dislocation pinning by the oxide particles was observed in creep tested samples. The observed values of true stress exponent suggest dislocation climb over the nano oxide particles to be the creep mechanism operating in the ODS steel. Samples sections close to creep fracture surfaces were investigated by EBSD. Void formation at triple junctions followed by crack propagation normal to the loading direction was observed. All the samples exhibited mixed mode (cleavage + ductile dimple) failure. Conventional ODS steel compositions contain up to 0.35% yttria. A significant improvement in creep life as well as an increase in activation energy for creep was observed because of high (1%) yttria content used in the ODS steel studied.

Pressure assisted sintering stress exponent assessment methods: Accuracy analysis and effect of sintering stress

Pressure assisted sintering models involve creep based mechanisms having different stress exponent values. The later evolve from linear viscous diffusional creep mechanisms to highly non-linear mechanisms involving dislocation motion. Consequently, the determination of the stress exponent is of key importance to define the sintering mechanisms and one of the first parameters to identify for the assessment of sintering model. Different methods exist in the literature involving tests at different pressures or with a stepwise pressure profile to extract the creep stress sensitivity. Open questions remain on the accuracy of these methods with the impact of sintering stress (high in ceramics nano-powders) or transient microstructure evolution for the stepwise approaches. This accuracy issue is investigated on an alumina submicronic powder by comparing different methods based on sinter-forging and Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) at 1200 °C. We show that the sintering stress has a high influence on the identified value of stress exponent. Otherwise, the combination of sintering stress and transient behavior at the level of the pressure “jump” of the stepwise method can lead to high disturbance in the identified values.

Creep deformation behaviour of thermomechanically treated India specific reduced activation ferritic martensitic steel

In the present work, the influence of thermomechanical treatment (TMT) on microstructural evolution and creep deformation behaviour of India specific reduced activation ferritic martensitic (INRAFM) steel was investigated. Firstly, the TMT was carried out on INRAFM steel by reducing its thickness to 25% at warm rolling temperature (973 K), followed by tempering for 90 min at 1033 K. The resultant microstructural characteristics were compared with those attained in normalized and tempered (N+T) condition. TMT treated steel shows a refinement in lath structure with an increment in population of finer M23C6 precipitates along the hierarchal PAG/packet/block boundaries and MX carbonitrides in the intralath region. After TMT, creep tests were performed on the steel over the stress range of 200–300 MPa at temperature of 823 K. The rupture time of the steel significantly increased upon TMT, due to refinement in microstructural features that enhanced the creep resistance. Dependence of minimum creep rate on applied stress obeys Norton's power law and the stress exponent values indicated the deformation mechanism as dislocation creep. Modified Monkman-Grant relation shows a good relation between rupture time/strain to failure with minimum creep rate. Thereafter, the effect of TMT on the transient, secondary and tertiary creep behaviour was also examined and presented in this work. The TMT treated steel shows lower rate of exhaustion, higher threshold stress and prolonged tertiary region.

Through-thickness heterogeneity in creep properties of friction stir welding 7B50-T7451 aluminum alloy thick plate joint: Experiments and modeling

Through-thickness heterogeneity in creep properties of 7B50-T7451 aluminum alloy Friction Stir Welding (FSW) joints was investigated. Creep tests for three slices of the FSW joint were conducted at the temperature of 150–200 °C and applied stress of 60–225 MPa. The theta projection method was used to predict creep curves and minimum creep rate. The results show that the minimum creep rate increases and creep rupture life decreases with the increase of creep temperature and applied stress. Creep properties of the FSW joint deteriorate along the thickness direction from the top to the bottom. The threshold stress of all three slices of the FSW joint decreases with the increase of creep temperature and even disappears at 200 °C for the bottom slice. Creep activation energy approaches the activation energy of the lattice self-diffusion of aluminum. The value of true stress exponent for different slices is approximately equal to three. The predominant creep mechanism of the FSW joint is dislocation viscous glide by lattice self-diffusion. What is more, a constitutive model is established based on the theta method to accurately describe creep behavior of different slices of the FSW joint.

An investigation on creep deformation and mechanical properties of a polycrystalline Fe-based alloy: a molecular dynamics study

In this work, Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation was carried out to uncover the mechanism of creep deformation in FeCrAl alloys. The MD results indicated that the rise in the amount of Cr and Al leads to the increase of creep rate in the samples. Moreover, under a constant temperature (1000 K) and alloying composition (FeCr15Al4), the increase of applied stress altered the creep mechanism from Coble mode to grain boundary sliding, followed by dislocation creep, which was accompanied with the appearance of tertiary creep stage in the strain-time curves. Considering the stress exponent values, it was found that the applied stress of 1-1.5 GPa is a transition value from Coble creep to dislocation creep. It was also unveiled that the atomic coordination number in the grain boundaries was averagely lower than the grain interiors, indicating that the boundaries were potential sites for the atomic motion and the defect nucleation. Finally, in comparison with the applied stress and temperature, the creep deformation is less sensitive to the alloying composition and grain size.