L35-CREEP AND STRESS

RUPTURE
 Creep Induced Deformation of Materials 𝝐ሶ
• Creep is defined as time-dependent and permanent
the
deformation of materials when subjected to a constant load or
stress. Creep is normally an undesirable phenomenon and is
often a limiting factor in the lifetime of a part.

• Creep can also be defined as deformation of materials at

elevated temperatures while exposed to static mechanical
stresses (turbine rotors in jet engines and steam generators that
experience centrifugal stresses, and high-pressure steam lines,
nuclear reactor core structural members).

• It is observed in all materials types:

Creep dominates failure modes above

0.45Tm ( Tm - absolute melting temperature).
Amorphous polymers, which include plastics and rubbers, are
especially sensitive to creep deformation at low temperature.

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 CREEP DEFORMATION OF MATERIALS
RUPTURE
𝝏𝝐
S 𝜺ሶ =
𝝏𝒕
T 𝑳𝑶𝑨𝑫,𝑻𝑬𝑴𝑷
(ss)=Δ/Δt
R
PRIMARY

Δt
A
CREEP

Δ

RUPTURE(tr)
STEADY STATE
N CREEP

TIME TO
(𝜺)
TERTIARY
INSTANTANEOUS SECONDARY/LINEAR CREEP CREEP
DEFORMATION
𝑻𝑰𝑴𝑬 (𝒕)

𝒅𝜺 𝝏𝝐 𝑪𝝈𝒎
𝜺ሶ = = 𝝏𝒕 = 𝒃 𝒆−𝑸/𝒌𝑩𝑻
𝒅𝒕 𝑳𝑶𝑨𝑫,𝑻𝑬𝑴𝑷 𝒅
 What Happens at High Temperature?
• Fast atomic diffusion and point defect mobility

• Greater mobility of dislocations (climb).

• Increased population of vacancies.

• Deformation at grain boundaries grain boundary

sliding

• Metallurgical changes, i.e., phase transformation,

precipitation, oxidation, recrystallization

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 Creep Vs Stress Rupture
• The creep test measures the dimensional changes which occur when
subjected to high temperature.

• The rupture test measures the effect of temperature on the long term
load bearing characteristics

• Stress rupture testing is similar to creep testing except that the

stresses are higher than those used in a creep testing.

• Stress rupture tests are used to determine the time necessary to

produce failure so stress rupture testing is always done until failure.

• In the stress rupture tests, the loads are high enough to cause relatively
rapid fracture - Time involved 10 - 1000 h

• Principal difference between creep and stress rupture tests - testing

time, stress or strain level, measurement of load, temperature and
strain

• Concise Information - This stress rupture information is highly beneficial

for the material survival over short span – Super-heater tubes, piping,
nozzle guide vanes, boilers, booster rockets, Guided Missiles

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 CONSTANT LOAD CREEP
A typical creep test consists
of subjecting a specimen to a
constant load or stress while
maintaining the temperature
constant; deformation or
strain is measured and
plotted as a function of
elapsed time.

Most tests are the constant-

load type, which yield
information of an engineering
nature; constant-stress tests
are employed to provide a
better understanding of the
mechanisms of creep.
Typical creep curve of strain versus time at
constant load and constant elevated
Upon application of the load
there is an instantaneous temperature. The minimum creep rate Δ/Δt is
deformation, is totally elastic. the slope of the linear segment in the

secondary region. Rupture lifetime tr is the

total time to rupture. 6
 Creep Regimes
The resulting creep curve consists of three regions, each of
which has its own distinctive strain–time feature
Primary or transient creep, typified by a continuously
decreasing creep rate; i.e., the slope of the curve diminishes
with time. This suggests that the material is experiencing an
increase in creep resistance or strain hardening - Deformation
becomes more difficult as the material is strained.
Secondary creep, or steady-state creep, the rate is constant;
i.e., the plot becomes linear (constant slope). This is often the
stage of creep that is of the longest duration. The constancy of
creep rate is explained on the basis of a balance between the
competing processes of strain hardening and recovery,
recovery being the process whereby a material becomes softer
and retains its ability to experience deformation.
Tertiary creep, there is an acceleration of the rate and ultimate
failure (slope increase with time). This failure is frequently
termed rupture and results from microstructural and/or
metallurgical changes; for example, grain boundary sliding, and
the formation of internal cracks, cavities, and voids.
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Parameters that govern creep response of a material

Possibly the most important

parameter from a creep test is
the slope of the secondary
𝝏𝝐
portion of the creep curve ( 𝝏𝒕 )
this is often called the minimum
or steady-state
. creep rate  (ss) .

On the other hand, for many

relatively short-life creep
situations (e.g., turbine blades
in military aircraft and rocket
motor nozzles), time to rupture,
or the rupture lifetime tr, is the
dominant design consideration;
it is also indicated.

Of course, for its determination,

creep tests must be conducted
to the point of failure; these are
tertiary creep rupture tests.
 Stress and Temperature Effects on Creep
Both temperature and the level of the
applied stress influence the creep
characteristics

At a temperature substantially below

0.4Tm, and after the initial
deformation, the strain is virtually
independent of time.

With either increasing stress or

temperature, the following will be
noted:

➢ the instantaneous strain at

the time of stress application
increases,

➢ the steady-state creep rate is

increased, and

➢ the rupture lifetime is

diminished.

Influence of stress (σ) and temperature T on creep behavior.

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 Stress and Temperature Effects on Creep
The results of creep
rupture tests are most
commonly presented
as the logarithm of
stress versus the
logarithm of rupture
lifetime.

Stress/temperature
dependence of the
steady-state creep
rate can be
described by creep Stress (logarithmic scale) versus steady-state creep
equation rate (logarithmic scale) for an S-590 alloy at four
temperatures.S-590 is an iron-nickel pptn hardened
alloy

𝒅𝜺 𝑪𝝈𝒎 C-const, -stress, d-grain

𝝏𝝐
𝜺ሶ = = 𝝏𝒕 = 𝒃 𝒆−𝑸/𝒌𝑩𝑻 size, Q: Actvn energy, m and
𝒅𝒕 𝑳𝑶𝑨𝑫,𝑻𝑬𝑴𝑷 𝒅 b are exponents 10
 VARIATION OF CREEP WITH STRAIN
There are three principal deformation
processes at elevated temperature. Creep rate vs. total strain relationship

Deformation by slip

More slip systems operate at high

temperature

Slip bands are coarser and widely

spaced.

LOAD, TEMP
Sub-grain formation

Creep deformation produces

inhomogeneity especially around

𝝏𝝐
𝝏𝒕
grain boundaries, allowing
dislocations to arrange
themselves into a low-angle grain 𝝐ሶ =
boundary. Easy for metals with SECONDARY
high stacking fault energy.
TOTAL STRAIN EXHITED BY THE MATERIAL()
Grain boundary sliding
Different creep rates result from changes in
internal structure of the materials
Produced by shear process and
promoted by increasing
temperature/or decreasing strain
rate. Results in grain boundary
folding or grain boundary 11
migration.
Mechanisms of Creep Deformation
Atomistic diffusion accelerated by Grain boundary sliding at
stress gradients. higher temperature

Dislocation Climbing at higher

stresses

Enhance atomic diffusion

processes and grain boundary
sliding at high temperature
accelerate creep

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TEMPERATURE DEPENDANCE OF CREEP RUPTURE---GIVEN BY
LARSON-MILLER PARAMETER (LMP)
Predicting the lifetime of material vs. time and temperature using a
correlative approach based on the Arrhenius rate Equation—THIS IS
THE BASIS OF LARSON-MILLER PARAMETER

Creep-stress rupture data for high-temperature creep-resistant alloys

are often plotted as log stress to rupture versus a combination of log
time to rupture and temperature

LMP = T( log tr+ C)

T= Temperature in K
t r= Stress rupture time in hrs
C=Material specific constant
of the order of 20
 WHAT ARE MATERIAL
CHARACTERISTERISTICS
VISIBLE IN CREEP FAILURES?

1. In bulging /blistering of tubes

2. Thick edged fractures

3. Intergranular voids and cracks in microstructure

4. Stress cracks

5. Internal or external oxidation indicating off normal high

temperature exposure of component

UNIVERSITY OF BERKLEY

INTER GRANNULAR FAILURE

ENGINEERING CREEP RESISTANCE IN HIGH
TEMPERATURE ALLOYS

USE OF HIGH MELTING POINT METALS AND ALLOYS

LARGE GRAIN SIZE MATERIALS

HIGH ELASTIC MODULII

USE OF PRECIPITATION HARDENS ALLOYS AND SUPERALLOYS

 High Temperature Alloys-SUPER ALLOYS
High service temperature is encountered in gas turbine hot section
components, boilers, nuclear reactor core structural elements. Creep
resistance super-alloys are needed to overcome this creep induced failure

Creep is generally minimized in materials with: High melting temperature, High

elastic modulus, Large grain sizes (inhibits grain boundary sliding)

High melting point alloys normally has high creep resistance.

Metals with high stacking fault energy → Deformation by slip becomes

difficult

Precipitation hardening prevents dislocation motion and thereby arrests

creep.

Fine precipitates having high thermal stability are necessary for high creep
resistance (prevent grain growth).
Ex: Nickel base alloy containing fine precipitates of intermetallic
compounds Ni3Al, Ni3Ti or Ni3(Al,Ti)

Creep resistance steels containing fine carbides VC, TiC, NbC, Mo2C or
Cr23C6 as precipitates. 16
A CREEP TESTING MACHINE

COURTESY: GOOGLE IMAGE

Creep Test
IN CREEP TESTING A SPECIMEN ISANCHORED TO A TENSILETESTING MACHINE
OPERATING AT CONSTANT LOAD. IT IS MAINTAINED AT AN ISOTHERMAL TEMPERATURE
T> 0.45Tm ( MELTING POINT OF SPECIMEN). THE DEFORMATION OR STRAIN IS
MEASURED AS A FUNCTION OF TIME.

CREEP TESTING APPARATUS

For metallic materials most creep tests are conducted in uniaxial tension using a specimen
having the same geometry as for tensile tests. Controlled environment is often used to
prevent oxidation of the TEST SPECIMEN
CREEP PRACTICE PROBLEM
 STRESS RUPTURE

Stress rupture is the sudden and complete failure of a material under

stress. During testing, the sample is held at a specific load level and
temperature for a pre-determined amount of time. In stress rupture
testing, loads may be applied by tensile bending, flexural, biaxial or
hydrostatic methods

DESIGN BASED ON CREEP AND STRESS RUPTURE

Most important design parameters in creep are:

Measure Steady state creep rate

Measure Rupture life- time tr (stress rupture test).

Similar to creep test except the stress is higher

Both these designs strongly depend on temperature and level of

stress applied
 CREEP TEST Vs STRESS RUPTURE TEST

CREEP TEST STRESS RUPTURE TEST

Measurement of strain versus Measurement of stress versus
time at constant temperature time to rupture at constant
and load temperature
Relatively lower loads and creep Higher loads and creep rates
rates
Long duration, 2,000 to 10,000 Shorter duration often lasting
hours. Does not always lead to less than 1,000 hours typically.
fracture Always to fracture
Strain is measured accurately Less sensitive strain measuring
using sensitive equipment to equipment are used. Time and
determine creep rate. Strains strain to fracture are measured.
are typically less than 0.5%. Strains obtained are typically
50%
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR ATTENTION