Effect of intermediate plastic deformation on the high-temperature creep and lifetime of aluminum

The effect of various types of intermediate plastic deformation on the high-temperature creep of polycrystalline aluminum is studied. Intermediate deformation is performed after testing for 0.44 of the time to failure t _f via the single or multiple action of a hydrostatic pressure of 1000 MPa on porosity or via tension or compression at atmospheric pressure. Intermediate deformation is shown to decrease the creep rate, to increase the time to failure, and to increase the grain size. The change in the creep rate is maximal upon the cyclic (in the same test time intervals) action of pressure. A relation between the creep rate and the grain size has been reveled. The detected decrease in the creep rate is assumed to be caused by a decrease in the density of mobile dislocations (due to recrystallization).     

Creep and physical aging in a polyamideimide carbon fiber composite

The creep properties of an amorphous thermoplastic polyamideimide and its continuous carbon fiber composite have been investigated. Creep behavior in the viscoelastic (low stress) and viscoplastic (high stress) ranges was examined. The interaction of physical aging with the creep behavior of the material was found to be significant in both stress regimens. Physical aging shifted creep curves to longer times in the viscoelastic range, reducing the total amount of creep strain in both the viscoelastic and viscoplastic ranges. The amount of nonrecoverable strain produced during viscoplastic creep was highly dependent upon the amount of time a sample was held under load due to concurrent physical aging. Specimens aged significantly prior to testing showed no undue time dependence in the amount of nonrecoverable creep strain produced. The viscoplastic creep behavior was shown to be composed of instantaneous localized plastic deformation, viscous strain, stiffening due to aging, and densification due to aging.     

Non-linear free vibration of a beam with time-dependent material properties

An account is given of a study of free vibrations of a simply supported beam with a central mass and undergoing creep deformation for the two cases (i) creep deformation is completely recoverable (without hysteresis) and (ii) creep deformation is partly recoverable (with hysteresis). The material is of the Ramberg-Osgood type. Numerical techniques were used to find the response of the system. The results indicate that the beam behaves like a soft spring and that amplitude and frequency decrease with time.     

On the multistage nature of deformation of the microcrystalline aluminum-lithium alloy 1420 under superplasticity conditions

The constant-rate tensile deformation and creep of aluminum-lithium alloy 1420 with a grain size of 3 µm (obtained by equal-channel angular extrusion) exhibiting superplasticity at temperatures of 600–670 K and relative-deformation rates of 10^?2–10^?3 s^?1 are considered. It is shown that, upon tension at a constant rate V _m, a steady-state segment appears in the true stress σ_t-true strain ?_t dependence, which is described by the expression $\dot \varepsilon _t \sim \sigma _t^n \exp ( - U/kT)$ with constant coefficients, and that the rate of deformation $\dot \varepsilon _t$ is close to the creep rate at comparable stresses and strains. The conclusion is made that, upon deformation under superplasticity conditions, an equilibrium structure is formed, which remains unaltered in the process of further deformation until the sample goes over (because of geometrical conditions) to a prefracture state.     

Structural heterogeneity and jumplike deformation of polymers on the mesoscopic level

This paper reports on the results of research into the jumplike deformation of two polymers based on poly(oxymethylene) (POM) with structural aggregates (spherulites) of different micrometer-scale sizes at a temperature of 290 K, as well as of polyimide (PI) and a PI + graphite composite at temperatures of 290 and 690 K. The creep rate under compression is measured with a laser interferometer in 0.3-μm deformation increments. It is found that, in the course of deformation on the micrometer scale, the creep rate varies nonmonotonically. Periodic variations of the creep rate correspond to a jumplike (stepwise) behavior of the creep. It is shown that the mean jumps in the microdeformation correspond to the mean sizes of poly(oxymethylene) grains and graphite particles in polyimide. The results obtained are in agreement with previously drawn conclusions: the deformation jumps are determined by the scale of ordered microaggregates typical of the structure under investigation.     

Plastic deformation macrolocalization during serrated creep of an aluminum-magnesium Al-6 wt % Mg alloy

The nonlinear dynamics of the space-time structure of macrolocalized deformation is studied by a set of high-speed in situ methods under the conditions of serrated creep in an aluminum-magnesium Al-6 wt % Mg alloy at room temperature. Macroscopic deformation jumps with an amplitude of several percent are detected in the creep curve of this alloy. It is found that a complex space-time structure of macrolocalized deformation bands moving in a correlated manner forms spontaneously in the material during the development of a deformation jump. The difference between the observed picture of deformation bands and the well-known Portevin-Le Chatelier classification of deformation bands is discussed.     

Structural micromechanics of oriented polymers

To clarify whether the interfibrillar slippage occurs on plastic deformation of oriented polymers, flow creep of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW PE) samples with various connectedness of microfibrils has been studied in a dead load mode at room temperature. The flow creep rate of melt-crystallized and gel-cast UHMW PE films drawn to various draw ratios, as well as of modified gel-crystallized samples (cross-linked/grafted or washed free of low molecular weight fraction) has been measured with the help of a unique laser interferometric technique (Doppler creep rate meter). The technique allows one to measure creep rates for deformation increments as small as 0.3 μ within an accuracy 1%. The interferometric technique enabled us to observe an extremely high variability of flow creep rate. It was recognized that the creep process accelerates or slows from time to time. A length of a loaded sample increased by multiple consecutive deformation jumps (or steps). The size distribution of the steps appeared to be controlled by the structure of interfibrillar regions. The influence of the latter on the variability of creep rate confirms a hypothesis that suggests a contribution of interfibrillar slippage to plastic deformation of oriented polymers. The observed phenomenon has been attributed to stick-slip motion of microfibrils and their aggregates sliding on each other under the action of applied stress. It was found that the creep rate decreases with increasing interfibrillar interaction.     

Jumplike deformation of polymer materials on the micrometer and submicrometer structural levels

Jumplike creep is considered as a reflection of the structural heterogeneity of amorphous polymers on the mesoscopic and nanoscopic levels. The D-450 epoxy resin, poly(vinyl chloride), poly(vinyl butyral), and a composite consisting of the D-450 epoxy resin and diabase microparticles are studied at a temperature of 290 K. The creep rate of the specimens under compression is measured with a laser interferometer in submicrometer-scale deformation increments. Periodic variations of the creep rate with time or under deformation correspond to a jumplike (stepwise) behavior of the creep. It is shown that diabase particles (5–10 μm in size) are responsible for the appearance of micrometer-scale jumps in the creep of the composite and that the deformation jumps on the nanometer level are comparable to the sizes of the globules. The role of the resolution of the method employed in the evaluation of the scale of deformation jumps and structural units is considered.     

Serrated creep of zinc single crystals under compression in a magnetic field

The compressive creep rate of zinc single crystals was measured for sample deformation increments of 150 nm, which permits the measurement of deformation jumps larger than 300 nm. A weak magnetic field B = 0.2 T is shown to increase the average creep rate and decrease the height and sharpness of submicron-sized deformation jumps. Preliminary holding of a sample in a magnetic field also influences the creep rate and the characteristics of deformation jumps. The data are explained in terms of a model relating the effect of a magnetic field to the destruction of barriers to dislocation motion.     

Nanoscale deformation irregularities of γ-irradiated poly(methyl methacrylate)

Development of deformation jumps in the creep of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) has been studied. The structural levels of deformation have been determined from the creep rate oscillation periods (deformation jumps) measured by the interferometric method. Special attention is given to a new method of data processing, which enables one to reveal previously undetectable nanoscale deformation jumps. By the example of PMMA specimens preliminarily exposed to γ radiation with doses D=55–330 kGy and unexposed specimens, the presence of nanoscale deformation jumps with the values dependent on the dose D and time of creep has been shown. The obtained results confirm the existence of 10–20-nm domains in amorphous polymers and make it possible to study the multilevel organization of the deformation process, starting from the nanoscale.     

Climb via vacancy diffusion of edge dislocations in 2D dislocation microstructures

The prevention of strength degradation of components is one of the great challenges in solid mechanics. In particular, at high temperatures material may deform even at low stresses, a deformation mode known as deformation creep. One of the microstructural mechanisms that governs deformation creep is dislocation motion due to the absorption or emission of vacancies, which results in motion perpendicular to the glide plane, called dislocation climb. However, the importance of the dislocation network for the deformation creep remains far from being understood. In this study, a climb model that accounts for the dislocation network is developed, by solving the diffusion equation for vacancies in a region with a general dislocation distribution. The definition of the sink strength is extended, to account for the contributions of neighbouring dislocations to the climb rate. The model is then applied to dislocation dipoles and dislocation pile-ups, which are dense dislocation structures and it is found that the sink strength of dislocations in a pile-up is reduced since the vacancy field is distributed between the dislocations. Finally, the importance of the results for modelling deformation creep is discussed.     

Mechanism of low-frequency discrete acoustic emission during intermittent creep of aluminum alloy

A correlation between the dynamics of deformation bands and the discrete acoustic emission during the intermittent creep of the AlMg6 alloy using a high-speed video recording with a time resolution to 50 μs has been studied. A trigger of a macroscopic deformation step in the creep curve is the nucleation and the broadening of the primary deformation band that generates a characteristic acoustic emission signal with duration of several milliseconds. The results confirm the mechanism of generating an acoustic emission signal related to the cooperative dislocations outcrop on the specimen external surface.     

Design perspectives for creep-resistant magnesium die-casting alloys

The microstructure of die-cast magnesium alloys is highly non-uniform, which leads to a non-uniform distribution of the solidus/homologous temperature in the α(Mg) phase and a non-uniform distribution of deformation stresses and strains in the specimen during creep testing. Experimental observations suggest that significant creep deformation occurs in the α(Mg) phase in and adjacent to the eutectic regions while deformation in the primary α(Mg) dendrites is less pronounced. This article addresses the effect of the non-uniform as-cast microstructure on the creep resistance of die-cast magnesium alloys. Computational thermodynamic simulations were carried out to determine solute segregation, solidus temperature, and the corresponding homologous temperature distribution in the α(Mg) phase. Transmission electron microscopy studies provided evidence of non-uniform creep deformation in the creep-tested specimens. The results suggest that the creep resistance of magnesium alloys is determined by the weakest aggregate and/or phase in the alloy, viz., the α(Mg) phase in and adjacent to the eutectic regions. Microstructural design efforts that increase the homologous temperature or reinforce the eutectic α(Mg) phase hold significant promise for increasing the creep resistance of magnesium alloys.     

铁基块体非晶合金在纳米压痕过程中的蠕变行为研究

利用纳米压痕技术研究了{［（Fe_0.6Co_0.4）_0.75B_0.2Si_0.05］_0.96Nb_0.04}₉₆Cr₄铁基块体非晶合金的室温蠕变行为及不同的加载速率对该块体非晶合金蠕变变形的影响.{［（Fe_0.6Co_0.4）_0.75B_{0.2< 关键词： 块体非晶合金 蠕变 EVEV模型 蠕变速率敏感指数}     

Experimental study of room-temperature indentation viscoplastic ‘creep’ in zirconium

In this paper we have studied the mechanisms of so-called ‘indentation creep’ in a zirconium alloy. Nanoindentation was used to obtain strain rate data as the sample was indented at room temperature, at a homologous temperature below that for which creep behaviour would be expected for this material. A high value of strain rate was obtained, consistent with previous work on indentation creep. In order to elucidate the mechanism of time-dependent deformation, a load relaxation experiment was performed by uniaxial loading of a sample of the same alloy. By allowing relaxation of the sample from a peak load in the tensile test machine, a similar stress exponent was obtained to that seen in the nanoindentation creep test. We conclude that for metals, at temperatures below that at which conventional creep will occur, nanoindentation ‘creep’ proceeds through deformation on active slip systems that were initiated by prior loading beyond the plastic limit. It is therefore more appropriate to describe it as a viscoplastic process, and not as creep deformation.     

Modeling creep in L12-superstructure single crystals

Creep curves for compression and extension under constant loads and constant external stress are calculated using a model of the creep of L1₂-superstructure single crystals. It is shown that features of the creep in alloys with L1₂ superstructure can be explained via the superpositioning of normal and anomalous deformation mechanisms. It is established that during creep, the localization of deformation, which can lead to inverse creep, is important.     

Study of creep and features of the dislocation structure in single crystals of Ni3Ge alloy

Data from investigating the dislocation structure of Ni₃Ge alloy single crystals formed during creep are presented. The creep of the Ni₃Ge single crystals with the [001] orientation of the deformation axis was studied. It was found that a fragmented substructure with varying degrees of disorientation occurs in the areas of macrolocalized deformation. A polycrystalline substructure consisting of fragments with a low dislocation density is formed in the local areas.     

Effect of the magnetic field on nanometer-scale deformation jumps in polymers

The effect of a constant magnetic field on the rate of jumplike creep under compression is investigated for vitreous polymers with a globular structure. The interferometric method used for recording the creep makes it possible to measure deformation jumps from 300 nm and larger. It is demonstrated that the sizes of deformation jumps in polyester and epoxy resins decrease in the magnetic field (B = 0.2 T). Taking into account that the deformation jump size corresponds to the size of structural inhomogeneities, it is assumed that macroglobules under the action of a constant magnetic field are separated into smaller structural units on the nanometer level.     

In situ synchrotron radiation topography of NaCI during high temperature creep

High temperature plastic deformation is associated with large changes in the microstructure of single crystals. To observe this microstructure during the creep test, we have performed X-ray reflection topography, taking advantage of the high intensity of the synchrotron radiation. A special creep machine was designed which permits in situ observation.

Creep tests and microstructural observations were performed on NaCl single crystals compressed along <100> at about 600°C. As soon as the deformation started, subgrains appeared within the crystal, independent of the initial microstructure. Migration of the subboundaries during transient creep is followed by stabilization during steady state creep where a well developed subgrain structure keeps constant while new appearing subboundaries migrate. Misorientation between sub-grains increases progressively although more slowly in the steady state creep. A correlation between the microstructure evolution and the changes in the creep curves has been attempted.     

Effect of phase transitions on the kinetic parameters of polytetrafluoroethylene deformation

The effect of solid-state phase transitions on the kinetic parameters of creep deformation in polytetrafluoroethylene has been studied by differential scanning calorimetry and a laser-interferometric creep rate meter. It has been shown that the deformation activation volumes and the elementary phase transition volume differ from each other by more than an order of magnitude. The crystalline component of this polymer becomes a liquid-crystal phase coexisting with an amorphous phase.