4/2/2012

Module #40

Creep-Fatigue Interaction

Learning Objectives

Prof. M.L. Weaver

Creep--Fatigue Interactions
Creep
• Most materials are exposed to more than one
type of environment. This may include:
– High temperature creep
– Cyclic di  fatigue
C li lloading f ti
– Corrosive environment  embrittlement

• This combination makes interpretation of results

difficult.

• In design, empirical relationships (often lacking a

serious theoretical or fundamental basis) are
used to account for this.
Prof. M.L. Weaver

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Creep--Fatigue Interactions
Creep
• Ex. High-temperature turbine blade in an aircraft
engine:
– Temperatures
p are in the creep
p regime.
g
– Physically the environment is “toxic.”
– Rotational stresses and CTE differences produce
cyclic loading (particularly during startup).

• How
H can we quantify
tif what’s
h t’ going
i on?
?

• Let’s look at this in a ‘simplified’ way.

Prof. M.L. Weaver

FIRST
Let’s review our basic
fracture mechanisms before
proceeding
(assuming tensile loading)

Prof. M.L. Weaver

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Fig. 11.20 Schematic classification of major fracture mechanisms. From R. Phillips, Crystals, Defects and
Microstructures: Modeling across Length Scales, (Cambridge, 2001) p. 619. Originally adapted from Ashby,
Gandhi and Taplan, “Overview No. 3: Fracture-mechanism maps and their construction for F.C.C. metals and
alloys,” Acta Metallurgica 27 (1979) 699-729.
Prof. M.L. Weaver

Modes of High
High--Temperature Fracture

(a) (b) (c) (a) (b) (c)

Ductile and transgranular creep fracture. Intergranular creep-controlled fracture.

Fig. 3 Requires (a) either that holes pre-exist or
that they nucleate at inclusions that concentrate
stress (b) The holes elongate as the specimen is
stress.
extended. (c) They link, causing fracture when
their length is approximately equal to their
separation (2h ≈ 2l – 2rv).
Fig. 4 (a,b) Grain boundary sliding stimulates
nucleation of grain boundary voids. (c), the voids
grow by diffusion
diffusion, but diffusion fields of
neighboring voids do not overlap, so that each void
is contained within a cage of power-law creeping
material.

Figures from M.F. Ashby, C. Gandhi, and D.M.R. Taplin, “Overview no. 3: Fracture-mechanism maps and their construction
for f.c.c. metals and alloys,” Acta Metallurgica 27 (1979) 699-730.

Prof. M.L. Weaver

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Modes of High
High--Temperature Fracture

(a) (b)
(a) (b)
Diffusional void growth.
Rupture at high temperatures.
Fig. 5 Voids that lie on boundaries which carry a
tensile stress can grow by diffusion. This Fig. 6 Generally associated with dynamic recovery
mechanism
h i is i the
th limiting
li iti case off that
th t shown
h in
i the
th or recrystallization.
Figure to the left when the diffusion fields of the
growing voids overlap.

Figures from M.F. Ashby, C. Gandhi, and D.M.R. Taplin, “Overview no. 3: Fracture-mechanism maps and their construction
for f.c.c. metals and alloys,” Acta Metallurgica 27 (1979) 699-730.

Prof. M.L. Weaver

Modes of Fatigue Fracture

I II III

I. Crack initiation

II. Crack propagation or

stable crack growth

III. Unstable crack growth 1 2

or failure

σ
Figure
(a) Stages of fatigue crack propagation and (b) schematic representation of a fatigue fracture crack
markings found on a fractured part. Figures adapted from Meyers and Chawla, 1st Edition. (a) from p.
607 and (b) p. 615.

Prof. M.L. Weaver

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SECOND
How can we describe what’s going on?

Is it creep? Is it fatigue?
Is it something else?

Prof. M.L. Weaver

Creep
reep--Fatigue Interactions

• Cyclic stress or strain amplitude is small compared

to the mean stress (i.e., a << m).

• When temperature is high and the applied cyclic

frequency is low.

• This is creep accelerated by fatigue.

• Fracture surfaces exhibit a tendency towards

intergranular fracture (like tensile specimens
deformed to failure at high temperatures).

Prof. M.L. Weaver

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Fatigue
atigue--Creep Interactions

• Cyclic stress or strain amplitude is large compared

to the mean stress (i.e., a >> m).

• Also when temperature is low and the applied

frequency is high.

• This is fatigue accelerated by creep.

• Fracture surfaces are manifested by fatigue

striations and regions of transgranular fracture.

Prof. M.L. Weaver

Micro--mechanisms of Damage
Micro
• Key issue is initiation of fatigue cracks.

• Fatigue crack nucleation occurs via:*

– Cyclic slip

– Grain boundary cavitation

– Grain boundary sliding and associated development of wedge

cracks

– Nucleation and growth of voids at inclusions/precipitates

– Oxidation and corrosion

• Let’s consider one example, as presented in Courtney’s

text. I’ll leave you to study the rest…

* S. Suresh, Fatigue of Materials, 2nd Edition (Cambridge University Press, 1998) 589-603.
Prof. M.L. Weaver

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Creep--Fatigue Testing
Creep
Continuous strain cycling, 0/0
ε σ σ
• Various waveforms are used to
simulate service conditions in lab t t ε
experiments. Tension strain hold, t/0
ε σ σ

• Introduce a hold at maximum t t ε

strain for a period of time.
Compression strain hold, 0/t
ε σ σ
• Longer hold times result in
decreased cyclic frequency, t t ε
allowing for deformation and
stress relaxation to occur.
occur Tension and compression strain hold,
hold t/t
ε σ σ

• Environmental effects can also t t ε

be important.
Fig. 23.1 Waveforms used in creep-fatigue testing. Strain
holds are denoted with bold red lines. Figure adapted from
T. Goswami and H. Hänninen, “Dwell effects on high
temperature fatigue damage mechanisms Part I, Materials
Prof. M.L. Weaver and Design 22 (2001) 199-215.

Creep--Fatigue Interaction
Creep
• How does cyclic loading impact creep?

• Recall from
f fracture
f mechanics:
Tensile stresses tend to open up cracks whereas
compressive stresses tend to close (i.e. “heal”)
cracks.

• However, cyclic loading, even in compression,

accelerates creep.
WHY?
Prof. M.L. Weaver

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Creep--Fatigue Interaction
Creep
equilibrium dihedral angles
Figure 12.28
Schematic illustrating how a cylindrical
strain can accelerate void growth in a
creeping material. (a) A cavity is situated
on a grain boundary. (b) during boundary displacement

sliding the respective halves of the cavity

are displaced, and (c) a diffusive flux
results so as to maintain the equilibrium
Diffusion to maintain
dihedral angle at the boundary-cavity angles
junction. (d) This results in cavity growth
and (e) the process is repeated on stress
reversal. (Figure copied from page 603 of
Courtney 2nd Edition.
Courtney, Edition Original figure from cavity growth

C. Wigmore and G.C. Smith, Metal Science

Journal, v. 5 (1971) p. 58.)

This is just one proposed explanation! REPEAT

Prof. M.L. Weaver

THIRD
Are there any useful empirical creep-
fatigue correlations?

Prof. M.L. Weaver

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Fracture Criterion for Creep-

Creep-Fatigue
• Combine Palmgren-Miner (P-M) rule for fatigue life with
Robinson’s (R) rule for creep life under various σ – T
combinations.

Ni ti
N 
t fi
1
fi

N i  # cycles at stress amplitude  ai

N fi  # cycles to failure at stress amplitude  ai
ti  time spent at stress
stress-temperature
temperature combination
t fi  creep fracture life

• Keep in mind that P-M and R rules have restrictions and

limitations.
Prof. M.L. Weaver

Fracture Criterion for Creep-

Creep-Fatigue
Ni ti
N 
t fi
1
fi

N i  # cycles at stress amplitude  ai

N fi  # cycles to failure at stress amplitude  ai
ti  time spent at stress-temperature combination
t fi  creep fracture life

Linear Rule/model predicts

model
linear behavior.

0 Ni 1
N
Prof. M.L. Weaver fi

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Fracture Criterion for Creep-

Creep-Fatigue
Ni ti
N 
t fi
1
fi

N i  # cycles at stress amplitude  ai

N fi  # cycles to failure at stress amplitude  ai
ti  time spent at stress-temperature combination
t fi  creep fracture life

Cyclical work-
1 hardening material

Model makes conservative

Linear predictions for these types
model of materials

Cyclical work- However, actual

softening material
Model makes materials often exhibit
un-safe predictions for these
types of materials different behaviors.
0 Ni 1
N
Prof. M.L. Weaver fi

FOURTH
Environment/atmosphere influences
fracture and influences creep.

How does it influence CF/FC interaction?

Prof. M.L. Weaver

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Influence of Environment
• Exposure to high temperatures generally reduces Nf at a given pl.

• Oxygen in air can also

have an “embrittling”
effect
ff t on the
th fatigue
f ti
life of materials.
Elevated temperatures
can enhance this effect.
The next pages shows this.

• The frequency of cyclic

loading (ν) also has an
effect. When ν is lower,
sample lifetimes are
smaller for a given [Courtney, 2nd Edition, p. 604]
plastic strain range.
Prof. M.L. Weaver

Creep--Fatigue Failure Mapping

Creep
• Proposed by Hales as a way to interpret experimental results and to predict
fracture modes under C-F conditions.

Fig. 11 Schematic showing how creep and fatigue

Fig
Fig. 10 Schematic diagram showing the range of mechanisms can produce different failure modes.
conditions that need to be considered in studies of From Ref. [2].
high temperature fatigue. From Ref. [2].

1. R. Hales, “A quantitative metallographic assessment of structural degradation of type 316 stainless steel during
creep-fatigue,” Fatigue of Engineering Materials and Structures 3 (1980) 339-356.

2. R. Hales, “Fatigue Testing Methods at Elevated Temperatures,” in Fatigue at High Temperatures, edited by R.P.
Skelton (Academic Science Publishers, London, 1983) pp. 63-96.
Prof. M.L. Weaver

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Creep--Fatigue Failure Mapping

Creep

Transgranular Transgranular
high-cycle high-cycle
fatigue fatigue

Figure 12.29
Experimental fatigue fracture maps for two copper alloys: (a) copper alloy 175 and (b) AMAX MC. At low
temperatures, LCF is supplanted by tensile failure as Δp increases. For alloy 175, cavitation occurs for 0.4 ≤ T/Tm ≤ 0.6
while oxygen-initiated failure occurs for 0.6 ≤ T/Tm. Contours associated with constant Nf are superimposed on the map.
Cavitation is associated with a large decrease in fracture strain. [Figures adapted from Courtney, 1st Edition, p. 589.
Originally from D.M.R. Taplin and A.L. Collins, “Fracture at High Temperatures Under Cyclic Loading,” in Annual
Review of Materials Science, 8 (1978) 235-268]
Prof. M.L. Weaver

Table 1
Summary of processes than can play a role under conditions of creep-fatigue interaction

Testing Condition Beneficial Effects Detrimental Effects

1.  Temp. or  frequency Slip dispersal Creep damage

during LCF testing
2.  Temp. or  frequency
during LCF testing
3. Tensile holds during LCF
testing
4. Compressive holds
during LCF testing
5. Fatigue followed by
creep loading
6. Creep followed by
fatigue loading
7. Cyclic creep
•See p. 316 of the reference below for the original table and the full article for a detailed reference list with explanations.
Strain aging
Crack-tip blunting
Microstructural coarsening
Elimination of creep and
environmental effects
Development of a
compressive mean
stress
Sintering of g.b. cavities
Cyclic work hardening
Precipitation of
strengthening phases
Anelastic strain storage
recovery
Environmental effects
Increased planarity of slip
Creep damage in form of
g.b. cavities
Development of tensile
mean stress
Cyclic work softening
Little effect when g.b.
damage does not occur
Metallurgical recovery

J.K. Tien, S.V. Nair, V.C. Nardone, “Creep-Fatigue Interaction in Structural Alloys,” in Superalloys, Supercomposites
and Superceramics, edited by J.K. Tien and T. Caulfield, (Academic Press, 1989) Ch. 10, pp. 301-337.

Prof. M.L. Weaver

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Concluding Remarks
• Temperature plays a very big role in fatigue at
temperatures where diffusion is significant.

• This is probably the most significant cause for failure

in high temperature systems.

• Mechanistically, aside from understanding that crack

initiation and propagation
g lead to failure; it is difficult
to predict creep-fatigue failures as it will vary from
material to material.

Prof. M.L. Weaver

References for Module #40

1. J-S. Zhang, High Temperature Deformation and Fracture of Materials,
Woodhead Publishing (2010), Chapters 23-25.
2. J.K. Tien, S.V. Nair, V.C. Nardone, “Creep-Fatigue Interaction in
Structural Alloys,” in Superalloys, Supercomposites and
Superceramics, edited by J.K. Tien and T. Caulfield, (Academic Press,
1989) Ch. 10, pp. 301-337.
3. R.V. Miner, “Fatigue,” in Superalloys II, edited by C.T. Sims, N.S.
Stoloff, W.C. Hagel (Wiley, 1987) Ch. 10, pp. 263-289.
4. Section 12.7 in Courtney.
5. Section 13-15 in Dieter.

Prof. M.L. Weaver

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