Creep property and microstructural evolution of DD11 alloy under high temperature and low stress

In this paper,the interrupted and ruptured creep tests were carried out in a novel second generation single crystal superalloy named DD11 at 1100℃/130 MPa.The alloy exhibited typical creep curve including primary,steady,and tertiary three creep stages.The microstructural evolution at different stages of the creep were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy(SEM)and transmission electron microscopy(TEM).The results show that theγ′phases transform into rafted structure at the early stage of the steady creep and keep stable during the steady creep stage.As the creep goes on,the rafted structure further coarsens and the topological inversion occurs.In addition,at the primary creep,the dislocations mainly move in theγmatrix and pile up in theγ/γ′interface since the matrix channels widen slightly.The formation of the regular interfacial dislocation networks occurs at the early stage of the steady creep.Under the low stress,the dominated deformation mechanism during steady creep stage is the climbing of the〈010〉type edge dislocation.Furthermore,the effect of the deformation mechanism on creep property was discussed in detail.

Microstructural evolution and restoration of creep property for a damaged K403 alloy after rejuvenation heat treatments

Rejuvenation heat treatments can restore the microstructures and mechanical properties of the degraded turbine blades in gas turbine engines.Herein we analyze the effects of rejuvenation heat treatments on the microstructural characteristics and mechanical properties of damaged and undamaged specimens of a Ni-based superalloy,K403.The damaged specimens were found to have degraded microstructures and shorter creep lifetime than the undamaged specimen.The rejuvenation heat treatment proved beneficial,especially for specimens exposed to damage for 50 h.In addition,the microstructure recovery and creep life were found to depend on the predamage durations of the specimens.A y’-precipitate-based creep lifetime model was established to predict the residual lifetime based on the microstructural information.

Effects of rejuvenation heat treatment on microstructure and creep property of a Ni-based single crystal superalloy

Both surface and internal microstructures of a second-generation Ni-based single crystal(SX) superalloy were studied after creep and rejuvenation heat treatment(RHT).It is indicated that the microstructures,such as the dislocation network,the γ phase and the γ' phase,can be recovered to those after the standard heat treatment(SHT).It is found that RHT affected zone(RAZ) formed at the surface is composed of theγ'-free layer,the transition layer and the recrystallization(RX),which are less than 20 μm in depth totally.Such depth of the RAZ doesn't affect the properties of the superalloy.The morphology of γ' phase at the RAZ is related to the composition of the elements.The average creep life after RHT is close to the average life after SHT.It is concluded that RHT could effectively repair SX parts and increase the total life of the sample after a damage by creep.

Microstructural evolution of Mg-14Gd-0.4Zr alloy during compressive creep

The present work reports the creep behavior and microstructural evolution of the sand-cast Mg-14Gd-0.4Zr alloy(wt.%) prepared by the differential pressure casting machine. Their compressive creep tests at 250 ℃ were performed under various applied stresses(i.e., 60, 80 and100 MPa). Among them, the sand-cast Mg-14Gd-0.4Zr samples examined under 250 ℃/80 MPa for 39 and 95 h, respectively, were chosen to systemically analyze their creep mechanisms using high-angle annular dark field-scanning transmission electron microscopy(HAADF-STEM).The obtained results showed that the enhancement of creep resistance can be mainly attributed to the coherent β' and β'_F phases with an alternate distribution, effectively impeding the basal dislocations movement. However, with the creep time increasing, the fine β'+β'_F precipitate chains coarsened and transformed to semi-coherent β_1 phase and even to large incoherent β phase(surrounded by precipitate-free areas) in grain interiors. The precipitate-free zones(PFZs) at grain boundaries(GBs) were formed, and they could expand during creep deformation. Apart from the main cross-slip of basal and prismatic dislocations, type dislocations were activated and tended to distribute near the GBs. The aforementioned phenomena induced the stress concentrations, consequently leading to the increment of the creep strain.

Fractional description of mechanical property evolution of soft soils during creep

The motion of pore water directly influences mechanical properties of soils, which are variable during creep. Accurate description of the evolution of mechanical properties of soils can help to reveal the internal behavior of pore water. Based on the idea of using the fractional order to reflect mechanical properties of soils, a fractional creep model is proposed by introducing a variable-order fractional operator, and realized on a series of creep responses in soft soils. A comparative analysis illustrates that the evolution of mechanical properties, shown through the simulated results, exactly corresponds to the motion of pore water and the solid skeleton. This demonstrates that the proposed variable-order fractional model can be employed to characterize the evolution of mechanical properties of and the pore water motion in soft soils during creep. It is observed that the fractional order from the proposed model is related to the dissipation rate of pore water pressure.

Towards creep property improvement of selective laser melted Ni-based superalloy IN738LC

Nickel-based superalloy IN738LC produced by selective laser melting(SLM)exhibits inferior hightemperature creep properties than its cast counterparts due to relatively smaller grain size,particularly for the plane normal to the building direction.This work studied effects of post heating strategy on the microstructure and especially the grain size to improve the high temperature creep resistance.The asbuilt microstructure exhibited a fine grain size and large quantities of MC carbides that could effectively hinder grain growth.It was found that unconventional two-step heat treatments could lead to substantial grain growth,and the effect is particularly prominent at a specific temperature.The ease of grain growth was explained after classifying the microstructural evolution(boundary carbide transformation)during each heating step and related to the reduced grain boundary pinning force from MC carbides.Creep tests validated the effect of the new heat treatment scheme on the SLM-processed IN738LC at 850℃.An extended creep fracture life(1.5 to 4 times improvement)and lower secondary creep rates were achieved with samples subjected to the newly optimized two-step heat treatment.The complete creep curves are also firstly presented for SLM-IN738LC,confirming the effectiveness of grain growth and highlighting the importance of dedicated heat treatment for SLM superalloys.

Magnesium-based nanocomposites:A review from mechanical,creep and fatigue properties

The addition of nanoscale additions to magnesium(Mg)based alloys can boost mechanical characteristics without noticeably decreasing ductility.Since Mg is the lightest structural material,the Mg-based nanocomposites(NCs)with improved mechanical properties are appealing materials for lightweight structural applications.In contrast to conventional Mg-based composites,the incorporation of nano-sized reinforcing particles noticeably boosts the strength of Mg-based nanocomposites without significantly reducing the formability.The present article reviews Mg-based metal matrix nanocomposites(MMNCs)with metallic and ceramic additions,fabricated via both solid-based(sintering and powder metallurgy)and liquid-based(disintegrated melt deposition)technologies.It also reviews strengthening models and mechanisms that have been proposed to explain the improved mechanical characteristics of Mg-based alloys and nanocomposites.Further,synergistic strengthening mecha-nisms in Mg matrix nanocomposites and the dominant equations for quantitatively predicting mechanical properties are provided.Furthermore,this study offers an overview of the creep and fatigue behavior of Mg-based alloys and nanocomposites using both traditional(uniaxial)and depth-sensing indentation techniques.The potential applications of magnesium-based alloys and nanocomposites are also surveyed.

Tailoring the microstructural characteristics and enhancing creep properties of as-cast Mg-5Bi-5Sn alloy through Mn addition

The creep properties, microstructural characteristics and creep mechanisms of as-cast Mg-5Bi-5Sn(BT55) alloy without and with Mn(BTM550) addition were investigated via creep at 423, 448, and 473 K as well as stresses of 30, 50 and 75 MPa. The results indicate that adding Mn can result in the formation of primary and the dynamic precipitated α-Mn phases. In addition, the morphology of the precipitated Mg_(3)Bi_(2) phase and the orientation relationship between Mg_(2)Sn precipitates and α-Mg can be effectively modified. Tailoring the microstructural characteristics is responsible for the improved creep performance of BTM550 alloy. The dominant creep mechanisms in BT55 and BTM550 alloys are dislocation cross-slip and climb, respectively. Furthermore, twinning and pyramidal slip play an assisting part in both alloys during creep process.

A POTENTIAL METHOD FOR DETERMINING THE HAZ PROPERTIES IN WELDS USING TWO-MATERIAL IMPRESSION CREEP TEST

The results of a theoretical and finite element (FE) investigation of a two-material impression creep test method, using a rectangular indenter, are presented. The method uses a general formulation for steady-state creep deformation for multi-material components in conjunction with the results of FE analyses. The practical application of the proposed technique, in determining the secondary creep properties of heat-affected zone (HAZ) materials in welds, for which conventional creep testing methods cannot be used, is considered. A number of numerical examples are used to describe solution procedures and to verify the method.

EFFECTS OF COMBINED ADDITIONS OF TUNGSTEN AND MOLYBDENUM ON THE CREEP PROPERLIES OFFe_3Al-BASED ALLOYS

Effects of combined additions of tungsten and molybdenum on the creep properties of Fe3AI-based alloys have been investigated. Results show that combined additions of tungsten and molybdenum increase significantly the creep rupture life of the Fe3Al base alloys at high temperature. TEM analysis of the alloys containing tungsten plus molybdenum indicates that both solid-solution strengthening and precipitation harden- ing make the significant increase of creep rupture life.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FRACTAL DIMENSION AND CYCLIC CREEP PROPERTIES OF ROTOR STEEL 34CrMoA

Vertical section method has been used to measure the fractal dimension of cyclic creep frac- ture surfaces of rotor steel 34CrMoA at 550℃.The relationship between fractal dimension and cyclic creep properties has been analyzed.The fractal dimension is dependent upon the power product of minimum creep rate and rupture time,and satisfies the linear function with rupture strain.

MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF FINE PITCH DEVICES SOLDERED JOINTS BASED ON CREEP MODEL

Nonlinear analyses of quad flat package （QFP） on printed circuit board （PCB） assemblies subjected to thermal cycling conditions are presented. Two different solders are considered, namely, Sn37Pb and Sn3.5Ag. The stress and strain response of fine pitch devices soldered joints was investigated by using finite element method based on Garofalo-Arrheninus model. The simulated results indicate creep distribution of soldered joints is not uniform, the heel and toe of soldered joints, the area between soldered joints and leads are the creep concentrated sites. The similar phenomena of stress curves simulated based on Garofalo-Arrheninus model and Anand equations is confirmed, and the creep strain value of Sn3.5Ag soldered joints is lower than that of Sn37Pb soldered joints. Thermal cycling results show that Sn3.5Ag strongly outperforms Sn37Pb for QFP devices under the studied test condition. This is well matched with the experimental outcome analyzed. In addition, the soldered devices were tested by micro-joints tester, the tensile strength of Sn3.5Ag soldered joints is found to be higher than that of Sn37Pb soldered joints. By analyzing the fracture microstructure of soldered joints, it is found that fracture mechanism of Sn3.5Ag soldered joints is toughness fracture, while fracture mechanism of Sn37Pb soldered joints includes brittle fracture and toughness fracture. The results of this study provide an important basis of understanding the mechanical properties of fine pitch devices with traditional Sn37Pb and Sn3.5Ag lead-free soldered joints.

Determination of Elastic and Creep Properties of Thin-film Systems from indentation Experiments

Based on the detailed computer simulation of the indentation testing on the thin-film systems, the present paper explores the detailed procedure of determining elastic properties (elastic modulusE^(f) and Poisson ratio v(f)) and creep parameters (CCREEP^(f) and nCREEP^(f)) for a simple Norton law (ε=CCREEP^(f)σ^n CREE^(f), where e is creep strain rate, and a is the stress) material for a thin film coated on a creep substrate, whose elastic properties(E^(s) and v^(s)) and creep properties (CCREEP^(s) and nCREEP^(s)) of the substrate are known, from indentation elastic and creep testing,respectively. The influences of the thickness of the thin-film and the size of the indenter on the indentation behavior have been discussed. It is shown that the boundary between the thin film and the substrate has great influence on the indentation creep behavior. The relative sizes of indentation systems are chosen so that the behavior of the indentation on the film is influenced by the substrate. The two elastic parameters E^(f) and v^(f) of the film are coupled on the influence of the elastic behavior of indentation. With the two different size indenters, the two elastic parameters E^(f) and v^(f) of the film can be uniquely determined by the indentation experimental slopes of depth to applied net section stress results. The procedure of determining of the two Norton law parameters CCREEP^(f) and nCREEP^(f) includes the following steps by the steady indentation rate d. The first step to calculate the creep indentation rate on certain loads of the two different sizes of indenters on a set of assumed values of CCREEP^(f) and nCREEP^(f)Then to build relationship between the creep indentation rate and the assumed CCREEP^(f) and nCREEP^(f) With the experimental creep indentation rate to intersect two sets of which have the same values of d. The last step is to build the CCREEP^(f) and nCREEP^(f)curves from the intersection points for the two indenters. These two curves CCREEP^(f) and nCREEP^(f)

Creep properties and resistivity-ultrasonic-AE responses of cemented gangue backfill column under high-stress area

To investigate the creep and instability properties of a cemented gangue backfill column under a highstress area,the uniaxial compression creep tests were conducted by single-step and multi-step loading of prismatic samples made of cemented gangue backfill material(CGBM)under the high stressstrength ratio.The creep damage was monitored using an electrical resistivity device,ultrasonic testing device,and acoustic emission(AE)instrument.The results showed that the CGBM sample has a creep hardening property.The creep failure strength(CFS)is slightly larger than the uniaxial compressive strength(UCS),ranging in ratio from 108.9%to 116.5%.The instantaneous strain,creep strain,and creep rate increase with increasing stress-strength ratio in the single-step loading creep tests.The instantaneous strain and creep strain decrease first and then increase during the multi-step loading creep process.The axial creep strain of the CGBM column can be expressed by the viscoelastic-plastic creep model.Creep instability is caused by the accumulation of strain energy under multi-step loading and the continuous lateral expansion at the unconstrained middle position during the creep process.The creep stability of a CGBM column in a high-stress area can be monitored based on the variation of electrical resistivity,ultrasonic pulse velocity(UPV),and AE signals.

Creep damage properties of sandstone under dry-wet cycles

Rock creep properties can be used to predict the long-term stability in rock engineering.In reservoir bank slopes,sandstones which are frequently used in the bank slope undergoing longterm effects of dry-wet(DW) cycles due to periodic water inundation and drainage may gradually accumulate creep deformation,resulting in rock structure’s damage or even geological hazards such as landslides.To fully investigate the effect of DW cycles on the creep damage properties of sandstone,triaxial creep tests were conducted on saturated sandstone with different DW cycles by using a triaxial rheometer apparatus.The experimental results show that both the instantaneous strain and the stabilized strain increase with the DW cycles.In addition,using the Burgers model,four kinds of functions including an exponentially decreasing function,a linearly decreasing function,a linearly increasing function and an exponentially increasing function were proposed to express the relationships between the shear modulus,viscoelastic parameters of the Burgers model and the deviatoric stress under different DW cycles.Through comparative analysis,it is found that the theoretical curves generated using proposed four kinds of functions are in good agreement with the experimental data.Furthermore,macromorphological and microstructural observations were performed on specimens after various triaxial rheological tests.For samples with small number of DW cycles,approximately X-shaped fracture surfaces were observed in shear failure zones,whereas several shear fractures including obvious axial and horizontal tensile cracks,and flaws were found for samples with relatively large DW cycles due to long-term propagation and evolution of micro-fissures and micro-pores.Furthermore,as the DW cycles increases,the variation in micro-structure of samples after creep failure was summarized into three stages,namely,a stage with good and dense structure,a stage with pore and fissure propagation,and a stage with extensive increase of pores,fissures and loose particles.It is concluded that the combination effect of permeation of water molecules through pores and fissures within sandstone,and the propagation of preexisting pores and fissures owing to the dissolution of mineral particles leads to further deterioration of the mechanical properties of sandstone as the number of DW cycles increases.This study provides a fundamental basis for evaluating the long-term stability of reservoir bank slopes under cyclic fluctuations of water level.

Effect of long-term thermal exposure on microstructure and creep properties of DD5 single crystal superalloy

The effect of thermal exposure on the microstructure and creep properties of the Ni-based single crystal superalloy in different test conditions was studied.Long-term exposure was performed at 1,000 ℃ and 1,100 ℃ for 500 h prior to the creep tests.The creep lifetime is found to be improved after the long-term exposure at 1,000 ℃ for 500 h as a result of the formation of secondary M_(23)C_(6) in the interdendritic region.The coarsening of γ’ precipitates accompanied by the formation of TCP phase lead to the degradation of alloy,which is responsible for the reduction of the creep lifetime of Ni-base single crystal superalloy after long-term exposure at 1,100 ℃ for 500 h.The creep lifetime of 1,000 oC thermally exposed sample under the conditions of 1,093 ℃/137 MPa is lower than that of heat-treated state.Thermal exposure at 1,100 ℃ for 500 h causes the creep lifetime to drop drastically.

Effect of Ca addition on the as-cast microstructure and creep properties of Mg-5Zn-5Sn magnesium alloy

The effect of Ca addition on the as-cast micmstructure and creep properties of Mg-5Zn-5Sn magnesium alloy was investigated. The results indicate that adding 1.0 wt.% Ca to Mg-5Zn-5Sn alloy can effectively refine the as-cast microstructure of the alloy, and the CaMgSn phase with high thermal stability is formed in the alloy. In addition, adding 1.0 wt.% Ca to Mg-5Zn-5Sn alloy can also improve the creep properties of the alloy. After adding 1.0 wt.% Ca to Mg-5Zn-5Sn alloy, the second creep rate of the alloy at 150℃ and 50 MPa for 100 h decreases from 4.67 ×10^-8 to 1.43 × 10^-8 s^-1. The strengthening mechanism is mainly attributed to the microstructural refinement and the formation of CaMgSn phase.

EVALUATION OF CREEP PROPERTIES FOR 316FR STEEL THICK PLATE WELDMENT USING MINIATURE CREEP SPECIMEN

Evaluation of creep properties of the welded joint through taking local fluctuation of the mechanical properties into consideration is experimentally or analytically seldom carried out. The purposes of the present study are to examine the surface strain distribution in the weld metal of a full thickness welded joint specimen and subsequently to investigate the local variation in the properties of the all-weld metal part of the joint using miniature specimens. A welded joint was prepared for 316FR steel plates by gas tungsten arc welding process using Mod. 316L filler wire. Creep tests were conducted at 823K in air using full thickness large welded joint specimens, HAZ and all-weld metal miniature specimens. From the results obtained, it is concluded that the creep properties of multi-layer welded joints strongly depend on the location of specimen sampling.

Improvement for creep strength of a second-generation single crystal superalloy by design of heat treatments

Design of heat treatments is related to the key technology for development of nickel-based single crystal superalloys(Ni-SXs). Based on the full understanding of the solidification characteristics, this work applies optimization design of heat treatments for a second-generation Ni-SX. Microstructure evolution and creep properties are compared in the material under conventional/standard(Std.) and optimized(Opt.) treatments. For the Std. sample,strong dendritic segregations determine inconsistent microstructure evolution in the dendritic(D) and interdendritic region(ID), while the latter serves as weak area to have the prior microcrack initiation, damaging overall performance of the alloy. The Opt. treatment applies higher homogenization temperature, leading to overall reduced segregations, while not inducing incipient melting. A lower temperature of first-step ageing is used to lower the size ofγ'particles. These help to form the more uniform microstructure in dendritic and interdendritic region and relieve the inconsistent microstructure evolution. The balanced local strength makes ID no longer as the weak area,thus restricting microcrack initiation. Great improvement of high temperature and low stress property is obtained by this progress, leading to the pronounced increase of creep rupture life under 1100 °C/140 MPa.

Phase-field simulation of precipitation kinetics and creep properties of Ni-Al-Cr/Ta superalloys

The precipitation kinetics ofγ'-Ni_(3)(Al,Ta)phase and creep properties of Ni-15Al-x Ta at.%superalloys are investigated by the crystal plasticity phase-field simulation.The results show that the high Ta content brings a lower creep strain for the deceleration and steady creep stage,while the creep lifetime is shorter.The large external strain intensifies the creep damage and shortens the creep life of Ni-15Al-3Ta at.%superalloy.The kinetics evolution and elements distribution are revealed in the quaternary Ni-10Al-8.5Cr-xT a(x=1.5 at.%,2.0 at.%,2.5 at.%)superalloys by the multi-component phase-field simulation.The anti-phase boundary(APB)changes the coarsening mechanism ofγ'phase,and Ta promotes the precipitation ofγ'phase with an increasing volume fraction and particle number.The composition difference betweenγ'andγphases increases with the rising of Ta content,the strong partitioning of Ta toγ'phase strengthens the partitioning of Ni and Cr toγmatrix,and Ta shows a superiority than Al in the lattice site occupation of L1_(2)-Ni_(3)(Al,X)phases.As an importantγ'phase forming element,the optimization of Ta content is essential for improving the mechanical properties of Ni-based superalloys.