Materials and Design 96 (2016) 122–130

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Materials and Design

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Creep property evaluation of light alloys by means of the Small Punch

test: Creep master curves
D. Andrés ⁎, R. Lacalle, J.A. Álvarez
Departamento de Ciencia e Ingeniería del Terreno y de los Materiales, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: The low-density values of light alloys have made them ideal candidates for reducing the weight of structural
Received 9 November 2015 components. Given their relatively low melting points, it is vital to characterise the behaviour of these materials
Received in revised form 4 February 2016 at high temperature working conditions. In this paper, the Small Punch Creep (SPC) testing technique is applied
Accepted 5 February 2016
to evaluate the creep properties of AlSi9Cu3 and AZ31 alloys, which respectively exhibit brittle and ductile frac-
Available online 7 February 2016
tures. By comparing the SPC results with the uniaxial ones, a relationship between miniature and conventional
Keywords:
tests has been established. Three different approaches have been employed, by comparing tests which share
Small Punch (i) the same time to rupture, (ii) the Larson-Miller and (iii) the Orr-Sherby-Dorn parameter. Regardless of the be-
Creep haviour of the material, the applied methods lead to the same relationships, proving their accuracy. Furthermore,
Light alloys the SPC tests have been used to obtain creep master curves and the usual creep engineering parameters, which
are in good agreement with those obtained by means of conventional methods, confirming the suitability of the
SPC technique for this purpose.
© 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction Due to the heterogeneity of components and the consequent need

Vehicle weight reduction has become one of the principal concerns
for the transportation industry. Some years ago, this issue had only
been of great importance to aeronautical engineers. However, the cur-
rent environmental awareness has led to a general search for weight
and fuel consumption reduction by designers and manufacturers.
Therefore, the low densities and favourable characteristics of light alloys
have turned them into a cost-effective solution for achieving this goal.
As a result, aluminium alloys are being widely used in, for instance,
car components, enabling a substantial weight decrease in various
applications, such as engine blocks, pistons, wheels, radiators, etc. [1].
At the same time, magnesium alloys, which are even lighter than alu-
minium, have not yet been developed to the same extent, probably
due to some mechanical/physical properties that may require a
more careful design for their application to automotive products [1].
Despite this fact, their utilisation is growing continuously and a use of
40–100 kg per car has already been foreseen by many producers for
the near future [2].
Among the applications of light alloys, there is one which is ex-
tremely important, considering their mechanical properties: high tem-
perature applications. Given their relatively low melting points and
the increasing demands of industry, this has become a critical issue.
Consequently, an accurate knowledge of their creep properties and be-
haviour in such working conditions is crucial.
⁎ Corresponding author.
E-mail address: andresd@unican.es (D. Andrés).
for local characterisation, the evaluation of such properties in real ele-
ments with generally complex geometries is often complicated. Given
the size of the required samples, conventional methods are not usually
suitable for this purpose. Consequently, the employment of miniature
testing techniques is highly recommended. The Small Punch (SP) test-
ing technique enables the evaluation of real components with a reduced
volume of material. Furthermore, it can focus on critical locations, which
would be impossible to achieve by means of conventional methods.
Therefore, in this paper, SP tests have been used to characterise the be-
haviour of the materials in creep conditions.
The SP technique, firstly introduced by Manahan in 1981 [3], consti-
tutes an efficient and cost-effective technique. It can even be regarded
as a non-destructive one because of the very limited amount of material
to be sampled, with the specimens being discs of 0.5 mm thick and
8 mm diameter. With a variety of applications [4–7], its development
has evolved continuously since its beginnings. Moreover, the Small
Punch Creep (SPC) test, first introduced in 1993 [8], has already been ac-
cepted in the nuclear and aerospace industry [9], and its utilisation is
continuously growing, partially encouraged by the implementation of
the European Code of Practice [10] in 2007 and its rapid development
[9, 11]. While several studies have focused on steels, there are few refer-
ences to other materials [12–14].
The aim of this study is to improve the applicability of Small Punch
Creep tests in the evaluation of the creep properties of light alloys. To
do this, alternative and uniaxial creep tests have been conducted on
an AlSi9Cu3 aluminium alloy and on an AZ31 magnesium alloy. The re-
sults of the experimental research have been used to obtain a

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2016.02.023
0264-1275/© 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
 D. Andrés et al. / Materials and Design 96 (2016) 122–130 123

relationship between the two tests, confirming the suitability of the

method. Finally, creep master curves and creep engineering parameters
have been obtained for both alloys based on the results obtained in the
Small Punch Creep tests.

2. Theoretical models

Some of the most widely used creep models will be briefly ex-
plained, in order to then apply them to the results obtained. These
cover stress and temperature dependence, some parametric extrapola-
tion techniques and common relationships employed to relate Small
Punch Creep tests and Uniaxial Creep tests.

2.1. Stress and temperature dependence

One of the most important creep parameters is time to rupture. Its

dependence with temperature and stress varies with the creep mecha-
nism, which can be either diffusional creep or dislocation creep. Diffu-
sional creep only occurs at low stresses and temperatures approaching
melting points. Therefore, it is not usually of engineering significance.
On the other hand, dislocation creep mechanisms usually take place
at intermediate and high stresses and temperatures at 40% of the melt-
ing point. In this case, deformation processes are controlled by non-
conservative motion dislocations, implying vacancy diffusion (by pipe
diffusion and grain boundary diffusion at low temperatures, or by bulk
Fig. 1. AlSi9Cu3 microstructure: aluminium α matrix showing dendritic crystallisation,
diffusion at high temperatures) or cross slip. When dislocation creep intermetallic compounds and shrinkage cavities.
mechanisms are operative, time to rupture varies nonlinearly as a
power function of stress, which constitutes power-law creep, as in
Eq. (1). This behaviour is similar to the one proposed by Norton [15], LMP ¼ f ðσ Þ ¼ T ð log10 t r þ C LM Þ ð2Þ
which is widely accepted and used. In this study, a Norton-like expres-
sion is employed, relating stress with times to rupture, instead of mini- In Eq. (2), T is the testing temperature in Kelvin and CLM is a material
mum creep rates. dependent constant, whose value is usually taken as 20, although it can
range between 10 and 40 for most materials [16]. If log10tr vs 1/T is plot-
t r ¼ Aσ n ð1Þ ted, it results in straight lines whose intercept is CLM, and whose slope is
a function of stress (LMP).
In Eq. (1), A and n are stress-independent constants, tr the time to
rupture and σ is the applied stress. o The Orr-Sherby-Dorn parameter (OSDP): It is also derived from an
Arrhenius-like equation, like the Larson-Miller parameter. However,
2.2. Parametric extrapolation techniques unlike the previous parameter, it assumes a constant activation en-
ergy [18]. It can be written in the form of Eq. (3).
Due to practical reasons, laboratory creep tests rarely last longer
than 1000 h. On the other hand, actual plant components usually oper-
ate for times in excess of 100,000 h. Consequently, extrapolation tech-
OSDP ¼ log10 t r þ C OSD =T ð3Þ
niques are unavoidable, in order to be able to assess the actual in-
service conditions and to estimate long-time behaviour for other
In Eq. (3), COSD is a material dependent constant. Plots of log10tr vs 1/
heats, different from the ones previously evaluated. Briefly, data extrap-
T result in parallel lines at different stresses, whose slope is COSD.
olation techniques play a critical role in design, quality control and plant
The above parameters offer a semi-empirical approach to data treat-
evaluation [16].
ment. Given that the LMP is the parameter which has been employed by
Creep data extrapolation techniques basically incorporate data into a
engineers for the longest period of time, it is the one that enjoys the
single “master curve”, which relates time to rupture, stress and temper-
most widespread use. This is also due to its ease of understanding and
ature. Some of the most widely accepted are:
usage; and obviously, to its accuracy, as it has been proved to be at
o The Larson-Miller parameter (LMP): Based on the Hollomon-Jaffee least as good as all other existing parameters [16].
expression [17, 18], the Larson Miller Parameter (LMP) is one of
the most widely employed. It can be derived from the stress and 2.3. Relationship to uniaxial creep properties
temperature dependence of time to rupture, assuming that the acti-
vation energy is dependent on stress [19]. It can be written in the In order to cover both testing and analysis and convince the poten-
form of Eq. (2). tial users of the Small Punch Technique of the benefits of extensively

Table 1
Alloy composition (wt%).

Si Cu Mn Zn Mg Ni Pb Fe Ti Al

Alsi9Cu3 10.7 2.4 0.22 1.1 0.27 0.08 0.11 0.9 0.003 Balance
AZ31 – 0.0008 0.54 1.05 Balance 0.0007 – 0.0035 – 3.1
124 D. Andrés et al. / Materials and Design 96 (2016) 122–130
Fig. 2. AZ31 microstructure: mainly α-Mg matrix and β (Mg17Al12) precipitates.
employing this testing method, a European Code of Practice (CoP) was
developed in 2007 [10]. According to it, the recommended method for
obtaining a relationship between Small Punch Creep tests (SPC) and
Uniaxial Creep tests (UAC) is to compare the force and stress applied
in each case, for tests which have been conducted at the same temper-
ature and share a common time to rupture. The comparison of tests that
share the same parametric extrapolation value has also been proposed,
as for example, the same Larson-Miller parameter [20]. As a result, in
both cases, a load-stress ratio is obtained.
In order to compare tests, data fit is generally needed, since the
achievement of tests which share the same time to rupture or
Fig. 3. Cross section of the experimental set-up of the specimen location and an image of the Small Punch Creep Testing device.
parametric extrapolation value is not straightforward. Therefore, in
this paper, UAC tests have been compared with SPC tests employing
the trend of data for the latter, which enables the calculation of the cor-
responding applied force for the existing UAC results. Data fits have
been performed by means of linear regressions.
Regarding the relationship between the applied force at the Small
Punch test and its equivalent stress in a conventional test, the Code of
Practice [10] proposes the use of Chakrabarty's equations [21]. These
equations, rigidly derived from the elastic theory, provide a complete
set of relations, an obvious advantage over other relationships. Conse-
quently, load balance is assumed to be mainly through membrane
stresses, since the usually large deformations of the specimens allow
bending stresses to be neglected. Given that membrane stresses vary
with deflection and current thickness, they are determined in a practical
way at steady state or stationary stage by means of Eq. (4). In order to
propose a user-friendly relationship, based on geometrical factors and
material properties, Eq. (4) has been transformed into Eq. (5). This
equation constitutes the general formula of the CoP and takes into ac-
count the different creep ductilities of the different materials, or even
the different behaviours of the same material at different temperatures
and stresses, by adding a SP creep test correlation factor (kSP). With the
applied test geometry (4 mm diameter of the receiving hole, 1.25 mm
radius of the punch indenter and 0.5 mm of sample initial thickness),
Eq. (6) can be obtained, which only depends on the SP creep correlation
factor.
F=σ ¼ 2πhr sinθ0 2 ð4Þ
F=σ ¼ 3:33kSP R−0:2 r 1:2 h0 ð5Þ
F=σ ¼ 1:895kSP ð6Þ
In Eqs. (4), (5) and (6), F is the applied force at SPC tests, σ is the
stress applied at UAC tests, h is the specimen thickness at the contact
boundary, r is the radius of the punch indenter, θ0 is the angle at the con-
tact boundary, R is the radius of the receiving hole and h0 is the SPC sam-
ple initial thickness.
 D. Andrés et al. / Materials and Design 96 (2016) 122–130 125

3. Experimental procedure

3.1. Materials

AlSi9Cu3 alloy and AZ31 20-mm-thickness plate have been selected

for this study. Al\\Si cast alloys are extensively used in the automotive
and aerospace industry, because of their excellent castability, good me-
chanical properties and wear resistance [22, 23]. AlSi9Cu3 alloy, due to
its cost-effectiveness, finds wide application for the production of per-
manent mould castings and high pressure die castings, such as trans-
missions, crankcases, engine parts or oil pans [24]. AZ31 alloy, on the
other hand, shows a good corrosion resistance and weldability, and it
can be superformed at elevated temperatures to produce a wide variety
of intricate components for automotive uses, such as transfer cases,
transmissions cases, engine blocks, steering components and radiator
supports [25, 26]. The chemical compositions of these alloys are
shown in Table 1. Both microstructures have also been analysed, as Fig. 5. Load (SPC tests) or stress applied (UAC tests) versus time to rupture for AlSi9Cu3
can be seen in Figs. 1 and 2. In the case of AlSi9Cu3, the aluminium α alloy at 473 and 523 K.
matrix can be seen in light grey, showing dendritic crystallisation, and
darker intermetallic compounds and shrinkage cavities are also perceiv-
able. As for the AZ31 microstructure, it mainly shows α-Mg matrix and applied the required force on the specimen, and a furnace, which guar-
darker β (Mg17Al12) precipitates. anteed that the desired temperature remained constant along the test.
Weight and temperature changes were controlled according to ASTM
Standards [28]. Samples were machined so that the evaluated direction,
3.2. Experimental set-up both in the SP and conventional samples, was the same. The diameter of
the specimens was 6 mm, according to [28]. A diagram of the specimens
Two testing methods have been employed: Small Punch Creep tests can be seen in Fig. 4.
and Uniaxial Creep tests. Small Punch Creep tests were performed in a The use of an inert environment was discarded in both cases (SPC
dead-weight machine specially designed for this purpose, according to and UAC), once it was found out that specimens did not suffer severe
the European Code of Practice for Small Punch testing [10]. As it can oxidation processes during the performed tests. This fact could have
be seen in Fig. 3, the specimen lays on the specimen holder, and is modified the experimental results, especially for Small Punch Creep
clamped by the clamping ring. The force is applied by the punch, tests, given the reduced size of the specimens.
which on the other side is directly loaded by the dead weight. The spec-
imen is placed inside a furnace, whose temperature is directly con-
trolled by a thermocouple in direct contact with the specimen with an 3.3. Results
accuracy of ±0.1 °C. The central deflection of the specimen is monitored
by a LVDT, which measures the displacement of the loading bar with Testing conditions were chosen in order to achieve a balance be-
time outside the furnace, equivalent to the displacement of the punch, tween actual working conditions and laboratory conditions, particularly
and enables times to rupture to be obtained. An image of the whole de- regarding time consumption. Two temperatures were analysed: 473 K
vice can be seen in Fig. 3. (200 °C) and 523 K (250 °C). Loads were chosen in order to obtain a
The chosen punch radius was 1.25 mm. Regarding the samples, they wide variety of times to rupture without surpassing 1000 h, due to prac-
were cut to 0.55 mm by means of a liquid-cooled cut-off machine, and tical reasons. Consequently, a set of tests at two different temperatures
then ground to at least 2000 grit on both sides, until achieving the de- and different loads has been performed, obtaining the results shown in
sired thickness of 0.5 mm. This work resulted in 10-mm square samples, Fig. 5 and in Fig. 6, consisting of temperature and force or applied stress
with 0.5 ± 0.005 mm thickness. Though the Code of Practice [10] rec- and time to rupture for each test. Attention should be drawn to the
ommends the use of 8-mm diameter specimens, their change for 10-
mm square specimens has no influence on the obtained results, since
there is no change in the results as long as the clamped area remains
larger than one third of the total area, according to the CoP [10]. Further-
more, the lack of influence on the results of the sample size has already
been proved in previous works [27], as long as the same process area is
guaranteed.
Regarding Uniaxial Creep tests, they were performed employing an-
other dead-weight device. It consisted of a couple of levers, which

Fig. 6. Load (SPC tests) or stress applied (UAC tests) versus time to rupture for AZ31 alloy
Fig. 4. Diagram of a uniaxial creep specimen. at 473 and 523 K.
126 D. Andrés et al. / Materials and Design 96 (2016) 122–130

number of tests performed, in order to obtain an accurate characterisa- Table 2

tion of the materials and avoid possible influences of creep scatter on Trend of data for the SPC results obtained by means of linear regression.

the results. AlSi9Cu3 AZ31

As can be seen in Fig. 7, the analysed materials exhibit two different Coefficients a1 a2 a1 a2
types of failure, being ductile in the case of the magnesium alloy and
473 K 147.22 −10.13 151.74 −49.48
brittle for the aluminium one. As a result, there is no apparent cross-
523 K 131.58 −12.97 104.03 −37.63
sectional area reduction at the UAC specimens of AlSi9Cu3, and the
SPC samples of the same material exhibit a star-like pattern fracture.
On the other hand, UAC specimens made of AZ31 show a great cross- 4. Relationship to uniaxial creep parameters
sectional area reduction, as well as great elongation, especially if com-
pared to the other material. Regarding SPC samples, in this case, rupture One of the main goals of this study is to attain an accurate relation-
has a cap appearance, indicating a higher ductility of the material. ship between SPC and UAC tests. In order to achieve this goal, two

Fig. 7. Fractography of: a) SPC sample of AlSi9Cu3, b) SPC sample of AZ31, c) UAC sample of AlSi9Cu3, d) UAC sample of AZ31.
 D. Andrés et al. / Materials and Design 96 (2016) 122–130
Fig. 8. Applied stress in UAC tests versus applied load in SPC tests for the same
temperature and time to rupture for AlSi9Cu3 alloy.
different methods are proposed: the comparison of tests which share
the same time to rupture and another method, which uses as reference
value the corresponding LMP or OSDP.
4.1. Based on time to rupture
According to [10], a relationship between conventional and alterna-
tive techniques can be obtained by comparing tests with the same time
to rupture. As has been previously explained, a trend of data for the SPC
tests has been employed, in order to be able to compare both tests. The
fit of data has been performed by means of linear regression. This oper-
ation enabled the estimation of an applied load for the SPC tests, corre-
sponding to the existing times to rupture of the UAC tests. The obtained
trend of data for the SPC tests can be seen in Fig. 5 for the aluminium
alloy and in Fig. 6 for the magnesium alloy. The values of the obtained
coefficients based on Eq. (7) are shown in Table 2. It seems that each
kind of test shares a similar slope at both temperatures for each materi-
al, which could also mean that they share the same active deformation
mechanisms.
F ¼ a1 þ a2 log10 t r ð7Þ
In Eq. (7), a1 and a2 are constants obtained by means of the data fit.
After comparing the tests, a linear relationship between F (SPC) and
σ (UAC) has been obtained, as shown in Fig. 8 for Alsi9Cu3 and in Fig. 9
for AZ31. The main difference between the two is that for the brittle
Fig. 9. Applied stress in UAC tests versus applied load in SPC tests for the same
temperature and time to rupture for AZ31 alloy.
127
Fig. 10. Isothermal curves obtained from SPC tests, which have been transformed into
their equivalent UAC value, and comparison with UAC experimentally obtained values
for AlSi9Cu3.
material (aluminium alloy), the curve does not pass through the origin,
presumably due to the brittleness of the specimens. This fact is in good
agreement with the expected behaviour, since the aluminium alloy
does not exhibit a ductile behaviour. In fact, this material shows a load
balance through shear stresses induced by bending moments, rather
than membrane stresses. Therefore, the linear membrane stress rela-
tionship cannot be applied to this brittle material. In both cases, a high
accuracy of the obtained relationship can be observed for the range of
loads and temperatures analysed. A single relationship that includes
both temperatures has been chosen, given the good agreement of the
F/σ ratios obtained in both cases and the advantages offered by
the use of a single F-σ relationship. For AZ31 alloy, a good agreement
has been found with the proposed relationships in the CoP [10],
obtaining a kSP value of 1.23, which is similar to the one proposed previ-
ously by other authors, as for example, 1.2 for P91 steel or 1.0 for P91
weldmetal [9].
The UAC-SPC relationships have been employed to obtain isother-
mal curves, which have been plotted in Figs. 10 and 11, and the coeffi-
cients of the curves are shown in Table 3, according to Eq. (8). The
results exhibit a good agreement between UAC and SPC transformed
data. Apparent scatter for the AlSi9Cu3 results could be due to the ma-
terial heterogeneity, with some influence of the shrinkage pores.
log10 t r ¼ b1 þ b2 σ ð8Þ
In Eq. (8), b1 and b2 are constants, which have been obtained by
means of linear regression.
Fig. 11. Isothermal curves obtained from SPC tests, which have been transformed into
their equivalent UAC value, and comparison with UAC experimentally obtained values
for AZ31.
128 D. Andrés et al. / Materials and Design 96 (2016) 122–130

Table 3 Table 5
Trend of data of the isothermal curves of the SPC tests. UAC-SPC relationships.

Temperature 473 K 523 K Extrapolation technique UAC-SPC relationship

Coefficients b1 b2 b1 b2 AlSi9Cu3 LM σ = 2.22F-159.96

AZ31 LM σ = 0.42F
AlSi9Cu3 7.5 −0.04 4.7 −0.03
AlSi9Cu3 OSD σ = 2.26F-165.45
AZ31 3.1 −0.05 2.8 −0.06
AZ31 OSD σ = 0.42F

4.2. Based on parametric extrapolation techniques 5. Creep master curves

The Larson-Miller parameter (LMP) can be accurately applied for the
adjustment of the results obtained in SPC tests, but it can also be
employed to obtain a relationship between SPC and UAC [20, 29, 30].
In this paper, LMP values have been compared for both tests, similarly
to the previous method, where times to failure were the values used
to obtain the F-σ ratios. A fixed value of parameter CLM of Eq. (2) was
adopted, which was the optimum value obtained with the results of
the UAC tests by means of linear regression, in order to avoid any influ-
ence of it on the obtained relationship. The adoption of different values
of CLM for SPC tests could lead to a non-realistic relationship between
both tests, since curves should be extrapolated to values beyond the
ones experimentally obtained.
A completely analogous method to the one previously explained has
also been applied, comparing the tests using their Orr-Sherby-Dorn pa-
rameter (OSDP) values rather than the LMP ones. In this case, the opti-
mum COSD value for the OSDP model obtained from the conventional
tests has also been used for the SPC results, once it was proven that it
did not affect the accuracy of OSDP. The results of fit of data for SPC
tests according to Eq. (9) for LMP and to Eq. (10) are shown in
Table 4, and the UAC-SPC relationship obtained can be seen in Table 5.
log10 t r ¼ −C LM þ ðc1 þ c2 F Þ=T
log10 t r ¼ d1 þ d2 F−C OSD =T
Once a valid relationship between the UAC and SPC tests has been
established, it can be used to obtain design creep master curves based
on the previous parametric extrapolation models. As a result, not only
creep master curves can be obtained, but also isothermal curves which
accurately describe the behaviour of the material, if desired. Conse-
quently, in this paper, two models have been employed to achieve this
goal: Larson-Miller and Orr-Sherby-Dorn. Note that the equivalence be-
tween the SPC and UAC tests (see Section 4) allows these master curves
to be obtained with an experimentally significant number of tests but
little material consumption.
5.1. Larson-Miller
The Larson-Miller design curve has been obtained from the results of
the SPC tests by means of linear regression, once their equivalent UAC
stress had been obtained. In a similar way to what is proposed in the
ASTM E-139 standard [28], a fixed value of CLM is assumed, in order to
guarantee matching values of LMP for both tests. In this paper, the opti-
mum CLM values obtained for the UAC tests were the ones chosen to
achieve this goal, once that it was proved that its use did not have any
influence on the accuracy of the data fit. The results have been plotted
in Figs. 12 and 13, where they have been compared to the experimental
ð9Þ results of the UAC tests. Good agreement has been found between both
tests, which confirms the suitability of the method. The coefficients for
the relationships are shown in Table 6, according to Eq. (11).
ð10Þ
log10 t r ¼ −C LM þ ðk1 þ k2 σ Þ=T ð11Þ

In Eqs. (9) and (10), c1, c2, d1 and d2 are constants determined by
In Eq. (11), k1 and k2 are constants determined by means of linear
means of linear regression and σSPC is the equivalent uniaxial stress ob-
regression.
tained from SPC tests.
These methods lead to an identical relationship to the one obtained
5.2. Orr-Sherby-Dorn
previously, where tests were compared based on their time to rupture.
This fact confirms the suitability of the method, as well as the accuracy
In this case, a similar procedure to the one previously explained has
of the relationship, given that identical relationships are reached.
been applied, employing OSDP instead of LMP. As a result, creep master
In this case, the influence of the behaviour of the material can also
be noticed. The relationships obtained for the AZ31 alloy, which exhibits
a ductile fracture, are in good agreement with the Chakrabarty equa-
tions [21]. On the other hand, these equations cannot be applied to
AlSi9Cu3 relationships, presumably due to its load balance through
shear stresses induced by bending moments, rather than membrane
stresses. However, the high accuracy of the relationships is evident for
the range of loads and temperatures analysed, regardless of the ductility
of the material.

Table 4
Data fit of LMP and OSDP for SPC tests.

Extrapolation technique Material CLM c1 c2

Larson-Miller AlSi9Cu3 20.9 17,112 −48.2

AZ31 13.2 8101 −12.1

Extrapolation technique Material COSD d1 d2

Orr-Sherby-Dorn AlSi9Cu3 −11,655 −9.78 −0.10

Fig. 12. SPC equivalent stress to UAC versus its Larson-Miller parameter compared to the
AZ31 −6604 −10.19 −0.02
experimental results obtained by means of UAC for AlSi9Cu3 alloy.
 D. Andrés et al. / Materials and Design 96 (2016) 122–130 129

Fig. 15. SPC equivalent stress to UAC versus its Orr-Sherby-Dorn parameter compared to
Fig. 13. SPC equivalent stress to UAC versus its Larson-Miller parameter compared to the the experimental results obtained by means of UAC for AZ31 alloy.
experimental results obtained by means of UAC for AZ31 alloy.

6. Summary and conclusions

Table 6 The main aim of this paper was to obtain an accurate relationship be-
Relationships obtained from SPC equivalent stress to UAC for Larson-Miller. tween Small Punch Creep tests and Uniaxial Creep tests for a creep brit-
Coefficients k1 k2 CLM tle and a creep ductile material. This goal has been reached for the range
AlSi9Cu3 13,687 −21.6 20.9
of temperatures and loads analysed. The recommendations of the
AZ31 8101.5 −28.3 13.2 European Code of Practice [10] have been taken into account to achieve
this target. The use of Chakrabarty's equations in [10], which assume a
load balance through membrane stresses, is accurate for ductile mate-
rials, the most employed materials in creep conditions and the most
curves have been obtained for the Orr-Sherby-Dorn model by means of widely analysed (traditionally, UAC-SPC relationships have been ob-
linear regression, as shown in Figs. 14 and 15, where they have been tained for creep ductile steels). However, since creep brittle materials
compared to the corresponding UAC tests. The COSD value employed exhibit a load balance through shear stresses induced by bending mo-
was the optimum one for UAC tests, and it was kept constant for the ments, it has been proven that ductile relationships cannot be applied.
SPC transformed data. Good agreement between the transformed SPC Consequently, the proposal of a new relationship for creep brittle mate-
and UAC tests has been found, confirming the suitability of the method. rials is required, in order to accurately represent this kind of behaviour.
The values of the coefficients obtained for the relationship by means of As a result of the tests performed, the creep behaviour of AlSi9Cu3
linear regression are shown in Table 7, according to Eq. (12). and AZ31 has been characterised by means of UAC and SPC tests. Rela-
tionships between the two techniques have been determined by com-
paring times to rupture, but also LMP or OSDP, leading to a single
log10 t r ¼ l1 þ l2 σ −C OSD =T ð12Þ relationship in all cases. Creep master curves have also been obtained
employing only SPC tests, which are in good agreement with the ones
obtained from the UAC results. Therefore, it has been proven that the
In Eq. (12), l1 and l2 are constants determined by means of linear Small Punch technique enables the extrapolation of experimental
regression. creep data to the actual conditions of real components, without the
need for performing further UAC tests once a valid relationship between
both tests has been established. This fact represents a clear advantage
when it comes to undertaking structural assessments of components,
and especially for those with a complex geometry that cannot be
characterised by means of UAC tests. Furthermore, the SPC technique
enables the performance of a wide range of tests with a small volume
of material with realistic results, and allows the local characterisation
of components to be performed, something impossible to achieve by
means of conventional methodologies. The small size of its specimens
also turns it into a non-destructive test, which enables the identification
of the present state of damage of components and gives it the chance to
focus on the more critical locations. These advantages make the Small
Punch Creep test an efficient and cost-effective technique, which is

Table 7
Relationships obtained from SPC equivalent stress to UAC for Orr-Sherby-Dorn.

Coefficients l1 l2 COSD

AlSi9Cu3 −16.78 −0.04 −11,655

Fig. 14. SPC equivalent stress to UAC versus its Orr-Sherby-Dorn parameter compared to
AZ31 −10.19 −0.06 −6604
the experimental results obtained by means of UAC for AlSi9Cu3 alloy.
130 D. Andrés et al. / Materials and Design 96 (2016) 122–130
turning into a promising candidate for performing integrity assess-
ments of components under creep conditions.
Acknowledgments
This paper was created in the project MAT2011-28796-C03-01
“Characterisation under creep-fracture and stress corrosion cracking
conditions by means of the Small Punch Test” financed by the Ministry
of Economy and Competitiveness of the Spanish Government.
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