Analysis of biaxial-fatigue damage at elevated temperatures

Two-level cumulative-damage fatigue tests were conducted on tubular 304 stainless-steel specimen under biaxial-strain conditions at elevated temperatures. Effects of temperature, biaxiality and sequence of straining were investigated. The experimental results are forwarted with a new approach that utilizes the Miner cumulative-damage rule. This approach has shown that fatigue damage at elevated temperatures of 538°C (1000°F) and 649°C (1200°F) accelerates and decelerates as a result of time of exposure to a given loading sequence. The effect of biaxiality is shown through the behavior of the material under axial and shear-strain components. The axial (tensile) strain component has shown to be the severest detrimental damaging component when compared to a shear-strain component. A damage mechanism emerges from the interaction of temperature and loading sequence. Its significance can be observed only when a certain life ratio has been exhausted.     

Size effects and energy disposition in impact-specimen testing of ASTM A 533 grade B steel

A series of impact-type specimens, ranging in thickness from 0.1 to 12 in., have been tested. The effects of size on the impact energy per unit volume of the plastically deformed material of the specimens tested are investigated using the laws of similitude. Complementary to this, a model illustrating the disposition of energy between shear lip and flat fracture is proposed and satisfactorily verified by the test results. It is shown that significant size effects on impact energy exist at all temperatures and, in particular, a size effect of around five exists even at upper-shelf temperature for 12-in.-thick impact specimens when compared to the energy from thinner specimens, say a Charpy impact specimen. This is to say that, on the upper shelf, the impact energy of a 12-in.-thick specimen is equivalent to between 25 and 30 ft-lb Charpy impact energy. To lend further support to the behavior thus defined, it is shown that the nil-ductility type behavior in 12-in. thicknesses is exhibited at around 145° F as compared to the similar behavior exhibited by regular drop-weight specimens at around 0° F. That is, the nil-ductility temperature, if redefined as a type of behavior and not confined to a given size specimen for 12-in.-thick plate, is about 145° F.     

Multiscale Creep Compliance of Epoxy Networks at Elevated Temperatures

Epoxy networks are thermoset polymers for which an important structural length scale, molecular weight between crosslinks (M _c), influences physical and mechanical properties. In the present work, creep compliance was measured for three aliphatic epoxy networks of differing M _c using both macroscale torsion and microscale depth-sensing indentation at temperatures of 25 and 55°C. Analytical relations were used to compute creep compliance (J(t)) for each approach; similar results were observed for the two techniques at 25°C, but not at 55°C. Although creep compliance measurement differed at elevated temperatures, there were clear correlations between M _c, glass transition temperature, T _g, and the observed time-dependent mechanical behavior via both techniques at 55°C, but these correlations could not be seen at 25°C. This work demonstrates the capacity of depth-sensing indentation to differentiate among epoxy networks of differing structural configurations via J(t) for small material volumes at elevated temperatures.     

Crystallization of an ethylene-based butene plastomer: the effect of uniaxial extension

In this paper, the effect of uniaxial extension on the crystallization of an ethylene-based butane plastomer is examined by using rheometry coupled with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Uniaxial extension experiments were performed at temperatures below and above the peak melting point of the polyethylene in order to characterize its flow-induced crystallization behavior at extensional rates relevant to processing. The degree of crystallinity of the stretched samples was quantified by DSC, i.e., by analyzing the thermal behavior of samples after stretching. Analysis of the tensile strain-hardening behavior very near the peak melt temperature revealed that crystallization depends on temperature, strain, and strain rate. In addition, it was revealed that a very small window of temperatures spanning just 1–2°C can have a dramatic effect on polymer crystallization. Finally, flow-induced crystallization experiments at temperatures close to the peak melting point have shown the recrystallization of multiple crystalline structures within a polymer matrix, witnessed by double peaks within a narrow window of 89–93°C in the DSC thermographs, with the most demonstrable double peak behavior occurring at a temperature of 91°C, a temperature that is just 1°C cooler than the peak melt temperature of the polymer.     

Mechanical behavior of Gamma-Met PX under uniaxial loading at elevated temperatures and high strain rates

Gamma titanium aluminides have received considerable attention over the last decade. These alloys are known to have low density, good high temperature strength retention and good oxidation and corrosion resistance. However, poor ductility and low fracture toughness have been the key limiting factors in the full utilization of these alloys. More recently, a new generation of gamma titanium aluminide alloys, commonly referred to as Gamma-Met PX, has been developed by GKSS, Germany. These alloys have been observed to have superior strength and better oxidation resistance at elevated temperatures when compared with conventional gamma titanium aluminides.The present paper discusses results of a study to understand the uniaxial mechanical behavior in both compression and tension of Gamma-Met PX at elevated temperatures and high strain rates. The compression and tensile tests are conducted using a modified Split-Hopkinson Bar apparatus at test temperatures ranging from room temperature to 900 °C and strain rates of up to 3500 s⁻¹. Under uniaxial compression, in the temperature range from room to 600 °C, the flow stress is observed to be nearly independent of test temperature. However, at temperatures higher than 600 °C thermal softening is observed at all strain rates with the rate of thermal softening increasing dramatically between 800 and 900 °C. The room temperature tensile tests show negligible strain-rate dependence on both yield stress and flow stress. With an increase in test temperature from room to 900 °C, the material shows a drop in both yield and flow stress at all levels of plastic strain. However, the measured flow stress is still higher when compared to nickel based super-alloys and other gamma titanium aluminides under similar test conditions. Also, no anomaly in yield stress is observed up to 900 °C.     

Development of high-temperature biaxial-strain transducer for use to 1033°K (1400°F)

This study involved the development and evaluation of a high-temperature biaxial-strain transducer for measurement of strains up to 5 percent at temperatures approaching 1033°K (1400°F). The design requirements for transducer were established by specifications prepared by the Pressure Vessel Research Committee (PVRC) of the Welding Research Council. These specifications reflect the needs of the national laboratories and private industry as they relate to safety and structural-behavior studies of nuclear and advanced fossil-fuel systems, including piping, piping components, heat exchangers, and other pressure equipment. It was concluded, on the basis of the results from this study, that the transducer should perform satisfactorily at temperatures to at least 866°K (1100°F), and perhaps to 1033°K (1400°F). This paper should be of particular interest to those involved in high-temperature strain measurements or structural-behavior studies of energy systems (nuclear and fossil fuel) and components (piping, pumps, valves, heat exchangers, reactor components, etc).     

A unique elevated-temperature tension-torsion fatigue test rig

A unique tension-torsion fatigue test set up is described that allows strain-controlled tests at temperatures exceeding 649°C. The machine uses a large die set as a load frame resulting in lower cost and superior parallel positioning of the crossheads. Disposable weld-on grips were found to be cost effective for elevated-temperature testing. A new extensometer using commercially available capacitance probes was developed which can operate at the elevated temperature without cooling. Capacitance ring probes were utilized in an attempt to measure through-thickness strains. The characteristic behavior of the ring probes is discussed. Design modifications needed to make a successful measurement of through-thickness strains at elevated temperatures are presented.     

Strain measurements in tubes during rapid transient heating

A measuring apparatus using reluctance-type displacement transducers was successfully used for measuring radial thermal strains in 1-in.-diam × 8-in.-long thin-walled tubes of molybdenum, tantalum and 304 stainless steel. Wall-temperature rates of approximately 300° F/sec were accomplished by rapid heating with a plasma jet and strains at temperatures up to 2500° F were recorded. Excellent agreement between experimental results and a theoretical solution based on temperature profiles was found for temperatures to 2000° F.     

Compression-impact testing of aluminum at elevated temperatures

This paper presents and experimental technique for determining compressive stress-strain curves well into the plastic range of relatively soft metals at strain rates from 300 to 2000 sec^?1 at six temperatures from 30 to 550° C. More than 100 curves were obtained on annealed 1100° F aluminum. The strain-rate dependence in these tests could be fitted quite well either by a power function (log-log plot) or by a semilogarithmic plot, but the power function gave a better correlation of the present data with that obtained at lower strain rates by Alder and Phillips.¹     

Characterization of mechanical properties of aluminum cast alloy at elevated temperature

The tensile response, the low cycle fatigue(LCF) resistance, and the creep behavior of an aluminum(Al) cast alloy are studied at ambient and elevated temperatures.A non-contact real-time optical extensometer based on the digital image correlation(DIC)is developed to achieve strain measurements without damage to the specimen. The optical extensometer is validated and used to monitor dynamic strains during the mechanical experiments. Results show that Young's modulus of the cast alloy decreases with the increasing temperature, and the percentage elongation to fracture at 100℃ is the lowest over the temperature range evaluated from 25℃ to 300℃. In the LCF test, the fatigue strength coefficient decreases, whereas the fatigue strength exponent increases with the rising temperature. The fatigue ductility coefficient and exponent reach maximum values at 100℃. As expected, the resistance to creep decreases with the increasing temperature and changes from 200℃ to 300℃.     

Anisotropic Hardening of Sheet Metals at Elevated Temperature: Tension-Compressions Test Development and Validation

New test equipment has been developed to measure the in-plane cyclic behavior of sheet metals at elevated temperatures. The tester has clamping dies with adjustable side force to prevent the sheet specimens from buckling during compressive loading. In addition to the room temperature experiment, cartridge type heaters are inserted in the clamping dies so that the specimen can be heated up to 400 °C during the cyclic tests. For the strain measurement, a non-contact type laser extensometer is used. In order to validate the newly developed test device, the tension-compression (and compression-tension) tests under pre-strains and various temperatures have been performed. As model materials, the aluminum alloy sheet which exhibits a large Bauschinger effect and the magnesium alloy sheet which exhibits different amounts of asymmetry under cyclic loading are used. The developed device can be well-suited to measure the cyclic material behavior, especially the anisotropic and asymmetric hardening of light-weight materials.     

A Methodology for Obtaining Material Properties of Polymeric Foam at Elevated Temperatures

A new methodology to characterise the elastic properties of polymeric foam core materials at elevated temperatures is proposed. The focus is to determine reliable values of the tensile and compressive moduli and Poisson’s ratio based on strain data obtained using digital image correlation (DIC). In the paper a detailed coverage of the source of uncertainties in the experimental procedure is provided. The uncertainties include those associated with the load introduction, the measurement and the data processing. The design of the specimens and loading jigs are developed and assessed in terms of the introduction of uniform strain. It is shown that due to the mismatch in stiffness between the jig material and the foam the introduction of a uniform strain through the cross section of the specimens is difficult to obtain. A means for correcting for the non-uniform strain across the specimen cross section is developed. To validate the methodology, tests are firstly conducted at room temperature on Divinycell PVC H100 foam. It is shown that the material is highly anisotropic with a stiffness of 50% less in the plane of the foam sheet compared to the through-thickness direction. It is also shown that because of the compliance of the foam, jig misalignment causes large errors in the measurement, and a means for correcting for this is defined. Tests are then conducted in a temperature controlled chamber at elevated temperatures ranging from 20°C to 90°C. A nonlinear reduction in Young’s modulus is obtained with significant degradation occurring after 70°C. The Poisson’s ratio remains fairly stable at different temperatures. A strong theme in the paper is the accuracy and precision of the DIC data and the factors which introduce scatter in the data, along with the uncertainties that this introduces. Particular attention is paid to the affect of the correlation parameters on the derived strain data.     

Uniaxial deformation behavior of different polypropylene cast films at temperatures near the melting point

A new apparatus for stretching polypropylenes at elevated temperatures below the melting point at high deformation speeds (up to 750 mm/s) is described. In the temperature range of 140-160 °C the tensile behavior of polypropylene undergoes a shift from the ductile to the quasi-rubber-like deformation behavior. Furthermore, the deformation behavior is strongly affected by the strain rate. The homogeneity of sample deformation increases with the deformation rate. Furthermore, the influence of the cast film morphology on the uniaxial deformation behavior is investigated and discussed in terms of the degree of crystallinity and crystallite size. The degree of the residual crystallinity plays a decisive role for the deformation behavior. At similar degree of crystallinity, the yield stress is significantly influenced by the crystallite size in a way that the larger the crystallite size the higher the yield stress.     

The Effect of Temperature on Anisotropy Properties of an Aluminium Alloy

The temperature influence on the mechanical behaviour during plastic deformation of an AA5754-O aluminium alloy has been investigated by several experimental tests. First, monotonous tensile tests were carried out from room temperature up to 200°C with a classical tensile machine and with a less conventional testing apparatus involving the heating of the sample by Joule effect. With this second testing apparatus, the strain fields and tensile curves were obtained in function of temperature by means of a non-contacting optical 3D deformation measuring system. Moreover, shear tests were performed in the same temperature range. It is shown that the anisotropy coefficients are rather constant within this temperature range, with a relative variation less than 8%. For both tensile and shear tests, the stress levels are similar at the beginning of straining at room temperature and 150°C, except that the Portevin?CLe Chatelier (PLC) phenomenon disappears at elevated temperature, and then evolves differently. At 200°C, the stress level is clearly below whatever the deformation. In the framework of drawing process, the formability of this alloy at temperatures higher than 150°C seems to be improved.     

The viscoplastic behavior of hastelloy-X single crystal

A viscoplastic constitutive model for Hastelloy-X single crystal material is developed based on crystallographic slip theory. The constitutive model was constructed for use in a viscoplastic self-consistent model for isotropic Hastelloy-X polycrystalline material, which has been described in a recent publication. It is found that, by using the slip geometry known from the metallurgical literature, the anisotropic response can be accurately predicted. The model was verified by using tension and torsion data taken at 982°C (1800°F). The constitutive model used on each slip system is a simple unified visoplastic power law model in which weak latent interaction effects are taken into account. The drag stress evolution equations for the octahedral system are written in a hardening/recovery format in which both hardening and recovery depend on separate latent interaction effects between the octahedral crystallographic slip systems. The strain rate behavior of the single crystal material is well correlated by the constitutive model in uniaxial and torsion tests, but it is necessary to include latent information effects between the octahedral slip systems in order to obtain the best possible representation of biaxial cyclic strain rate behavior. Finally, it was observed that the single crystal exhibited dynamic strain aging at 871°C (1600°F). Similar dynamic strain aging occurs at 649°C (1200°F) in the polycrystalline version of the alloy.     

Testing the space-shuttle thermal-protection coating

A light-weight insulation material and its protective glassy coating will protect thespace shuttle from temperatures as high as 1250°C (2300°F). The critical performance characteristics of the brittle coating are investigated using testing techniques developed to accommodate these extreme environments and the delicate material. These include an ultimate-strain test-specimen geometry which circumvents problems created by flawed edges, as well as a tension specimen preparation and loading system with which premature failures due to excessive bending moment are avoided. Additionally, an elevated-temperature mechanical strain transducer—useable at more than 870°C (1600°F)—is described. Potential alterations to this sensor are discussed which would make it functional at up to 1600°C (3000°F).     

Dynamic Equibiaxial Flexural Strength of Borosilicate Glass at High Temperatures

A novel high temperature ring-on-ring Kolsky bar technique was employed to investigate the dynamic equibiaxial flexural strength of borosilicate glass at temperatures ranging from room temperature up to 750°C. This technique provided non-contact heating of the glass specimen and prevented thermal shocks in the specimen. Experimental results at the loading rate of 22.5 MN/s showed significant temperature dependence on the flexural strength. To explore the mechanisms of this temperature effect, controlled surface cracks were introduced on the tensile surface of the glass specimens using a Vickers indentation technique. These surface cracks were then heat treated under the same thermal histories as those tested in the high temperature dynamic experiments. The evolution of crack morphologies at 200°C, 550°C and 650°C were examined. The results indicate that residual stress relaxation may play an important role in the strengthening below 200°C, while crack healing and blunting may account for the strengthening above 500°C.     

Development of capacitance strain transducers for high-temperature and biaxial applications

Both uniaxial and biaxial (linear/torsional) extensometers have been developed for use in materials-testing applications requiring large strain range, elevated temperatures and high testing speeds. The sensing elements in these extensometers are parallel capacitance plates. Water cooling of the sensing elements is used to achieve effective operating temperatures to 2000°F. The geometrical configurations of the capacitance plates and the electronic circuitry required to obtain linear transducers over a large strain range are described. Some examples of applications are given.