Stress-controlled LCF experiments and ratcheting behaviour simulation of a nickel-based single crystal superalloy with [001] orientation

Uniaxial ratcheting behaviour and low cycle fatigue(LCF)failure mechanism of nickel-based single crystal superalloy DD6 with[001]orientation are investigated through the stresscontrolled LCF tests with stress ratio of-1.Then the deformation behaviour during the wholelifetime from the beginning of the experiment to the fracture of the specimen,as well as the fractographic/metallographic morphology,are compared with the strain-controlled LCF experimental results.Through the scanning electron microscope(SEM)observations,it is shown that the failure characteristics under stress-controlled LCF loading are similar with those under strain-controlled loading.Nevertheless,unlike strain-controlled LCF loading,even under fully reversed cycle loading for stress-controlled LCF,DD6 shows significant ratcheting behaviour due to the tensioncompression asymmetry.In addition,the LCF lifetimes under stress control are significantly shorter than the LCF lifetimes under strain control,and the culprit might be the detrimental effect of ratcheting strain on LCF lifetime.Based on these phenomena,an improved crystal plasticity constitutive model on the basis of slip-based Walker constitutive model is developed through modifying the kinematic hardening rule in order to overcome the inaccurate prediction of decelerating stageand stable stage of ratcheting behaviour.Furthermore,combining the continuum damage mechanics,a damage-coupled crystal plasticity constitutive model is proposed to reflect the damage behaviour of DD6 and the accelerating stage of ratcheting behaviour.The simulation results for the stress-controlled LCF deformation behaviour including the whole-lifetime ratcheting behaviour show good agreement with the experimental data.

Creep-fatigue crack growth behavior in GH4169 superalloy

This study aims to examine the crack growth behavior of turbine disc GH4169 superalloy under creepfatigue loading. Crack growth experiments were performed on compact tension specimens using trapezoidal waveform with dwell time at the maximum load at 650℃. The crack growth rate of GH4169 superalloy significantly increased with dwell time. The grain boundaries oxidize during the dwell process, thereby inducing an intergranular creep-fhtigue fracture mode. In addition, testing data under the same dwell time showed scattering at the crack growth rate. Consequently, a modified model based on the Saxena equation was proposed by introducing a distribution factor for the crack growth rate. Microstructural observation confirmed that the small grain size and high volume fraction of the δ phase led to a fast creep-fatigue crack growth rate at 650℃, thus indicating that two factors, namely, fine grain and presence of the δ phase at the grain boundary, increased the amount of weakened interface at high temperature, in which intergranular cracks may form and propagate.