High temperature creep behaviour of an FeAl intermetallic strengthened by nanoscale oxide particles

The creep behaviour of an FeAl intermetallic strengthened by nanosized oxide particles has been examined at temperatures of 700–825 °C. For all temperatures the strain rate shows a power law dependence on the applied stress. At the lowest temperature and with the highest stresses there is evidence of a threshold stress produced by the difficulty of overcoming the particle barriers, while for higher temperatures as well as at low stresses there is no threshold stress and creep appears to be controlled by general climb. The fine oxide particles produce good strengthening at low temperatures but are more readily overcome at high temperatures due to their very small size and limited attractive relaxation force. Despite such fall in creep strength, this material remains one of the strongest iron aluminides to the temperature range evaluated.     

Constitutive modeling for nanocrystalline metals based on cooperative grain boundary mechanisms

In nanocrystalline metals, the plastic deformation is accommodated primarily at the grain boundaries. Yang and Wang (J. Mech. Phys. Solids, 2003) suggested a deformation model based on clusters consisting of nine grains and incorporating both the Ashby-Verrall mechanism and a 30° rotation of closely linked pairs of grains. In the present article, the insertion and rotation processes are considered together as a cooperative deformation mechanisms, and the degree to which each process contributes is determined by the application of the principle of maximum plastic work. Plane strain and three-dimensional constitutive relations based on this concept are derived for which a general stress state drives the orientation evolution of various grain clusters under the Reuss assumption. Detailed calculation shows that the strain rate depends linearly on the stress, with the values of the coefficients in this linear relationship dictated by the microscopic energy dissipation. The deformation contributed to the overall response by the grain boundary mechanism is discussed in the spirit of the Hashin-Shtrikman bounds.     

Analysis of deformation mechanisms in superplastic yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia

There have been extensive experimental observations of changes in the apparent rate controlling creep parameters in studies on superplastic materials. The three most common explanations associated with these changes in the stress exponent, n, the activation energy Q and the inverse grain size exponent, p involve the effect of concurrent grain growth, the operation of a threshold stress or transitions in creep mechanisms. Each of these factors may influence experimental creep data in a similar manner. Therefore, a careful analysis of the consequences of all three factors must involve the development of a consistent set of experimental observations in order to adequately distinguish the effects of each. This paper discusses the role of concurrent grain growth, a threshold stress and transitions in creep mechanisms in superplastic materials. Specific attention is given to the analysis of data on superplastic yttria-stabilized zirconia ceramics for which an increase in n has been observed at low applied stresses. It is demonstrated that neither concurrent grain growth nor a threshold stress can account for all the relevant experimental observations in this material. It is concluded that the changes in rate controlling creep parameters are associated with the operation of two distinct sequential mechanisms as part of a grain boundary sliding process.     

Superplastic characteristics of high purity yttria-stabilized zirconia polycrystals

The mechanical characteristics of superplastic yttria-stabilized zirconia polycrystals have been analyzed as a function of stress, temperature and grain size. The evolution of the stress exponent n with stress found in high purity materials is similar to that observed in superplastic metals. True creep parameters can be ascribed to the deformation mechanism at high stresses. By contrast, the creep parameters exhibit a continuous evolution with stress, temperature and grain size at low stresses. The threshold stress formalism used in conventional and high strain rate superplastic metals accounts for the mechanical characteristics observed in fine-grained zirconia polycrystals.     

Chemically and mechanically driven creep due to generation and annihilation of vacancies with non-ideal sources and sinks

The classical concept of Nabarro creep is extended for a general dislocation microstructure. The specific mechanism of the creep consists in generation and annihilation of vacancies at dislocation jogs acting as non-ideal sources and sinks for vacancies. This mechanism causes the climb of dislocations, allowing for local volume and shape change. The final kinetic equations, relating the dislocation microstructure and the local stress state to the creep rate, are derived by means of the thermodynamic extremal principle. Closed-form equations for the creep rate are derived for isotropic polycrystals. Based on the model the creep rate in the ferritic P-91 type steel at very low applied stress is evaluated and compared with experiment.     

Experimental investigation and modeling of non-monotonic creep behavior in polymers

The deformation behavior of two unfilled engineering thermoplastics, ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and polycarbonate (PC), has been investigated in creep test conditions. It has been found that a loading history (prior to the creep test) comprising of loading to a maximum stress or strain value followed by partial unloading to arrive at the target stress value can greatly modify the strain-time behavior. Under such a test protocol, while the expected increase in strain during creep (constant tensile load) is observed, at relatively low creep stresses specimens have also demonstrated a monotonic decrease in strain. In an intermediate stress range, specimens have demonstrated time dependent behavior comprising of a transition from decreasing to increasing strain during creep in tension. This paper presents experimental results to delineate these findings and explore the effect of prior strain rate on the qualitative and quantitative changes in the output (strain-time) behavior. Furthermore, modification of the viscoplasticity theory based on overstress (VBO) model into a double element configuration is introduced. These changes confer upon the model the ability to yield non-monotonic behavior in creep, and supporting simulation results have been included. These changes, therefore, allow the model to simulate strain rate sensitivity, creep, relaxation, and recovery behavior, but more importantly address the issue of non-monotonic changes in creep and relaxation when a loading history involves some degree of unloading.     

Numerical investigation of grain boundary effects on elevated-temperature deformation and fracture

A three-dimensional (3D) polycrystal intergranular model that accounts for grain boundary deformation and intergranular weakening at elevated temperatures is presented. The effects of grain boundaries on the accumulated slip deformation of grain interiors and lattice rotation have been investigated through a comparison between results from a model including grain boundary region (GBM) and a model representing only the grain interiors not the grain boundary region directly (NGBM). It is found that the presence of grain boundaries seems to suppress the grain interior slip deformation, and this suppressive role is reduced with increased relative thickness of the grain boundaries. In addition, grain boundaries promote the lattice rotation of individual grains in shear bands but suppress that of individual grains within non-shear bands. Mutual rotation of grains in both shear and non-shear bands is caused by the introduction of grain boundary regions. Rate-dependence of high-temperature plasticity could be more accurately captured by the GBM than by the NGBM. By considering creep damage of grain boundary, when the damage variable reaches a critical value, the corresponding grain boundary element is eliminated to describe dynamic intergranular fracture processes. The volume-averaged stress–strain curve by a model considering grain boundary damage (DGBM) showed better agreement with experimental results than that by a model not considering grain boundary damage (GBM).     

Experimental investigation of cyclic and time-dependent deformation of titanium alloy at elevated temperature

A novel cyclic deformation test program was undertaken to characterize macroscopic time dependent deformation of a titanium alloy for use in viscoplastic model development. All tests were conducted at a high homologous temperature, 650 °C, where there are large time dependent and loading rate dependent effects. Uninterrupted constant amplitude tests having zero mean stress or a tensile mean stress were conducted using three different control modes: strain amplitude and strain rate, stress amplitude and stress rate, and a hybrid stress amplitude and strain rate. Strain ratcheting occurred for all cyclic tests having a tensile mean stress and no plastic shakedown was observed. The shape of the strain ratcheting curve as a function of time is analogous to a creep curve having primary, steady state and tertiary regions, but the magnitude of the ratchet strains are higher than creep strains would be for a constant stress equal to the mean stress. Strain cycles interrupted with up to eight 2-h stress relaxation periods around the hysteresis loop, including hold times in each quadrant of the stress–strain diagram, were also conducted. Stress relaxation was path-dependent and in some cases the stress relaxed to zero. The cyclic behavior of these interrupted tests was similar even though each cycle was very complex. These results support constitutive model development by providing exploratory, characterization and validation data.     

The effect of time-dependent twinning on low temperature (<0.25 ∗ Tm) creep of an alpha-titanium alloy

The low-temperature (less than one-fourth of the melting temperature) creep deformation behavior of hexagonally close-packed (HCP) α-Ti–1.6 wt.% V was investigated. Creep tests were performed at various temperatures between room temperature and 205 °C at 95% of the respective yield stress at the different temperatures. The creep strain rate was found to increase with increasing temperature. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy revealed that slip and unusually slow twin growth, or time-dependent twinning, are active deformation mechanisms for the entire temperature range of this investigation. The activation energy for creep of this alloy was calculated to identify the rate-controlling deformation mechanism, and was found to increase with increasing creep strain. At low strain, the activation energy for creep was found to be close to the previously calculated activation energy for slip. At high strain, the calculated activation energy indicates that both slip and twinning are significant deformation mechanisms. The appearance of twinning at high strains is explained by a model for twin nucleation by dislocation pileups.     

Effect of grain boundary sliding on creep constrained diffusive cavitation

For polycrystalline metals undergoing creep at high temperatures the nucleation, growth and coalescence of grain boundary cavities is investigated, with main focus on the influence of grain boundary sliding. Both the local stress state and the average rate of opening of a cavitating facet can be rather strongly affected by sliding on the grain boundaries emanating from the edges of this facet. A number of numerical solutions of axisymmetric model problems are used to study the combined influence of sliding and cavitation. The time to creep rupture by cavity coalescence is significantly reduced by grain boundary sliding, as is seen by comparison with analyses that disregard sliding. The numerical results are compared with predictions of a set of constitutive relations for creep in polycrystals with grain boundary cavitation.     

岩石蠕变特性试验研究

针对大安山煤矿+550水平西二石门围岩蠕变变形严重的问题,采用室内蠕变试验与理论分析相结合的方法研究岩石蠕变特性。选取泥质粉砂岩作为软岩试样,通过自制三轴蠕变仪对所取岩样进行恒围压分级增轴压的三轴压缩蠕变试验,结果表明:随应力水平的提高,起始蠕变速率增大,进入稳态蠕变阶段用时延长,稳态蠕变速率从0h-1增大到3.12e-4·h-1,瞬时应变以线性关系增加,围压9MPa条件下的起始蠕变应力阈值为6MPa,当应力水平超过岩石长期强度时出现加速蠕变。基于蠕变试验规律,考虑起始蠕变应力阈值,将一种可用阶跃函数表示的开关元件与广义K体并联,并引入损伤元件对CVISC蠕变模型进行改进。采用1st-Opt中的Levenberg-Marquardt+通用全局优化法计算蠕变参数并进行反演。反演结果表明理论曲线与试验曲线的吻合效果较好,证明了所建模型的合理性。上述研究成果可为岩石工程的长期稳定性分析提供试验和理论依据。     

A two-dimensional finite element method for simulating the constitutive response and microstructure of polycrystals during high temperature plastic deformation

We describe a finite element method designed to model the mechanisms that cause superplastic deformation. Our computations account for grain boundary sliding, grain boundary diffusion, grain boundary migration, and surface diffusion, as well as thermally activated dislocation creep within the grains themselves. Front tracking and adaptive mesh generation are used to follow changes in the grain structure. The method is used to solve representative boundary value problems to illustrate its capabilities.     

含与不含晶界空穴的双晶体蠕变行为研究

基于晶体滑移理论,建立了各向异性镍基合金双晶体的蠕变本构模型和蠕变寿命预测模型,通过MARC用户子程序CRPLAW将上述本构模型进行了有限元实现,并对双晶体蠕变行为进行了计算分析,考虑了:(1)晶体取向的影响;(2)垂直、倾斜和平行于外载方向的三种位向晶界情况;(3)晶界处引进空间空穴的影响。结果表明,双晶体上特别是微空穴和晶界附近区域的蠕变应力应变呈现不同的变化规律,对此晶粒晶体取向和晶界位向有较大的影响;微空穴的存在削弱了双晶体的承载能力,显著地影响了双晶体蠕变持久寿命;相同条件下,垂直晶界对双晶体模型的蠕变损伤影响最为强烈,倾斜晶界次之,平行晶界最小;微空穴的生长与晶界位向和晶体取向有强烈的依赖关系,其中垂直晶界更有利于晶体滑移和微空穴生长。     

Multiaxial constitutive model accounting for the strength-differential in Inconel 718

The nickel-base alloy Inconel 718 exhibits a strength-differential, that is, a different plastic flow behavior in uniaxial tension and uniaxial compression. A phenomenological viscoplastic model founded on thermodynamics has been extended for material behavior that deviates from classical metal plasticity by including all three stress invariants in the threshold function. The model can predict plastic flow in isotropic materials with or without a flow stress asymmetry as well as with or without pressure dependence. Viscoplastic material parameters have been fit to pure shear, uniaxial tension, and uniaxial compression experimental results at 650°°C. Threshold function material parameters have been fit to the strength-differential. Four classes of threshold functions have been considered and nonproportional loading of hollow tubes, such as shear strain followed by axial strain, has been used to select the most applicable class of threshold function for the multiaxial model as applied to Inconel 718 at 650 °C. These nonproportional load paths containing corners provide a rigorous test of a plasticity model, whether it is time-dependent or not. A J₂J₃ class model, where J₂ and J₃ are the second and third effective deviatoric stress invariants, was found to agree the best with the experimental results.     

Creep-rupture lifetime simulation of unidirectional metal matrix composites with and without time-dependent fiber breakage

A numerical simulation for predicting the axial creep-rupture lifetime of continuous fiber-reinforced metal matrix composites is proposed, based on the finite element method. The simulation model is composed of line elements representing the fibers and four-node isoparametric plane elements representing the matrix. While the fibers behave as an elastic body at all times, the matrix behaves as an elasto-plastic body at the loading process and an elasto-plastic creep body at the creep process. It is further assumed in the simulation that the fibers are fractured not only in stress criterion but time-dependently with random nature. Simulation results were compared with the creep-rupture lifetime data of a boron-aluminum composite with 10% fiber volume fraction experimentally obtained. The simulated creep-rupture lifetimes agreed well with the averages of the experimental data. The proposed simulation is further carried out to predict a possibility of creep-rupture for the composite without time-dependent fiber breakage. It is finally concluded that the creep-rupture of a boron-aluminum composite is closely related with the shear stress relaxation occurring in the matrix as well as time-dependent fiber breakage.     

泥岩三轴蠕变实验研究

采用MTS伺服刚性压力实验机对高家梁煤矿泥岩进行了三轴蠕变实验研究,获得了泥岩在不同应力条件下的蠕变变形规律。实验表明围压对泥岩微观缺陷的发展有一定的限制作用。随着围压的增加,泥岩的三轴抗压强度和弹性模量均有所增加。在围压一定时:衰减蠕变量随轴压的增大而增大;衰减蠕变率随偏应力的增加而增大;稳态蠕变率随偏应力的增大而增大。在偏应力一定时,稳态蠕变率随围压的增大而减小。当围压大于4MPa后,围压的限制作用将明显减小。随着围压继续增大,稳态蠕变率变化并不明显。根据获得的实验数据,用回归法求出了H-K模型蠕变方程的参数。结果表明H-K模型能较好地模拟实验结果。在实际工程中可通过支护增加围压以提高围岩屈服强度,也可根据实际工程中泥岩蠕变的变化趋势确定合理的二次支护时间,避免流变破坏的发生。     

Recoverable creep deformation and transient local stress concentration due to heterogeneous grain-boundary diffusion and sliding in polycrystalline solids

Numerical simulations are used to investigate the influence of heterogeneity in grain-boundary diffusivity and sliding resistance on the creep response of a polycrystal. We model a polycrystal as a two-dimensional assembly of elastic grains, separated by sharp grain boundaries. The crystal deforms plastically by stress driven mass transport along the grain boundaries, together with grain-boundary sliding. Heterogeneity is idealized by assigning each grain boundary one of two possible values of diffusivity and sliding viscosity. We compute steady state and transient creep rates as functions of the diffusivity mismatch and relative fractions of grain boundaries with fast and slow diffusion. In addition, our results show that under transient conditions, flux divergences develop at the intersection between grain boundaries with fast and slow diffusivity, which generate high local stress concentrations. The stress concentrations develop at a rate determined by the fast diffusion coefficient, and subsequently relax at a rate determined by the slow diffusion coefficient. The influence of the mismatch in diffusion coefficient, loading conditions, and material properties on the magnitude of this stress concentration is investigated in detail using a simple model problem with a planar grain boundary. The strain energy associated with these stress concentrations also makes a small fraction of the plastic strain due to diffusion and sliding recoverable on unloading. We discuss the implications of these results for conventional polycrystalline solids at high temperatures and for nanostructured materials where grain-boundary diffusion becomes one of the primary inelastic deformation mechanisms even at room temperature.     

一种新的岩石非线性黏弹塑性蠕变模型研究

为了克服传统元件组合模型不能描述岩石蠕变过程中非线性特征的缺陷,首先根据加速蠕变阶段的应变和应变率随蠕变时间急剧增大的特点,建立黏塑性应变与蠕变时间的指数函数关系并提出非线性黏塑性体．将该非线性黏塑性体与广义Burgers蠕变模型串联,建立可以描述岩石全蠕变过程的非线性黏弹塑性蠕变模型,根据叠加原理得到一维应力状态下的轴向蠕变方程．然后基于塑性力学理论指出岩石三维蠕变本构方程建立过程中的不足之处,并给出非线性黏弹塑性蠕变模型合理的三维蠕变方程．最后采用不同应力水平下砂岩轴向蠕变试验对模型合理性进行验证,结果表明：拟合曲线与试验曲线吻合度较高,所建蠕变模型能够很好地描述砂岩在不同应力水平下的蠕变变形规律,尤其对加速蠕变阶段的非线性特征描述效果很好,验证了模型的合理性．     

Crystal plasticity model with enhanced hardening by geometrically necessary dislocation accumulation

A strain gradient dependent crystal plasticity approach is used to model the constitutive behaviour of polycrystal FCC metals under large plastic deformation. Material points are considered as aggregates of grains, subdivided into several fictitious grain fractions: a single crystal volume element stands for the grain interior whereas grain boundaries are represented by bi-crystal volume elements, each having the crystallographic lattice orientations of its adjacent crystals. A relaxed Taylor-like interaction law is used for the transition from the local to the global scale. It is relaxed with respect to the bi-crystals, providing compatibility and stress equilibrium at their internal interface. During loading, the bi-crystal boundaries deform dissimilar to the associated grain interior. Arising from this heterogeneity, a geometrically necessary dislocation (GND) density can be computed, which is required to restore compatibility of the crystallographic lattice. This effect provides a physically based method to account for the additional hardening as introduced by the GNDs, the magnitude of which is related to the grain size. Hence, a scale-dependent response is obtained, for which the numerical simulations predict a mechanical behaviour corresponding to the Hall-Petch effect. Compared to a full-scale finite element model reported in the literature, the present polycrystalline crystal plasticity model is of equal quality yet much more efficient from a computational point of view for simulating uniaxial tension experiments with various grain sizes.     

State Equations of Unsteady Creep under Complex Loading

A mathematical model describing the unsteady creep of metals under complex loading is proposed. The results of numerical simulation of creep of St.304 steel in complex regimes of block multiaxial cyclic deformation are given. The numerical calculation results obtained are compared with the data of full-scale experiments. Creep is simulated in complex deformation processes accompanied by the rotation of main regions of stress, strain, and creep strain tensors.