Prediction of creep crack growth properties of P91 parent and welded steel using remaining failure strain criteria

Old grades of creep resistant materials such as P11 and P22 have been studied in depth and data and prediction models are available for design and fitness for service assessment of creep rupture, creep crack growth, thermo-mechanical fatigue, etc. However, as the 9%Cr material is relatively new, there is relatively limited data available and understanding with respect to quantifying the effect of variables on life prediction of components fabricated from P91 is more difficult. Since grade P91 steel was introduced in the 1980s as enhanced ferritic steel, it has been used extensively in high temperature headers and steam piping systems in power generating plant. However, evidence from pre-mature weld failures in P91 steel suggests that design standards and guidelines may be non-conservative for P91 welded pressure vessels and piping. Incidences of cracking in P91 welds have been reported in times significantly less than 100,000 h leading to safety and reliability concerns worldwide. This paper provides a review and reanalysis of published information using properties quoted in codes of practice and from recent research data regarding the creep crack growth of P91 steel, and uses existing models to predict its behaviour. Particular areas where existing data are limited in the literature are highlighted. Creep crack growth life is predicted based on short-term uniaxial creep crack growth (CCG) data. Design and assessment challenges that remain in treating P91 weld failures are then addressed in light of the analysis.     

Structural Steel ASTM A709—Behavior at Uniaxial Tests Conducted at Lowered and Elevated Temperatures, Short-Time Creep Response, and Fracture Toughness Calculation

This paper presents the temperature dependence of the mechanical properties of structural high-strength low-alloy (HSLA) ASTM A709 Gr50 steel (En10025: S355 JO; DIN: ST 52-3U). Engineering stress-strain diagrams at lowered and elevated temperatures are presented. Creep responses for selected constant stresses at selected temperatures are also presented and are fit with a rheological model. Additionally, a relation between impact toughness and fracture toughness is proposed and is validated using results from notch impact tests on a Charpy pendulum impact machine.     

Cyclic thermo-mechanical material modelling and testing of 316 stainless steel

A programme of cyclic mechanical testing of a 316 stainless steel, at temperatures of up to 600 °C under isothermal conditions, for the identification of material constitutive constants, has been carried out using a thermo-mechanical fatigue test machine (with induction coil heating). The constitutive model adopted is a modified Chaboche unified viscoplasticity model, which can deal with both cyclic effects, such as combined isotropic and kinematic hardening, and rate-dependent effects, associated with viscoplasticity. The characterisation of 316 stainless steel is presented and compared with results from tests consisting of cyclic isothermal, as well as in-phase and out-of-phase thermo-mechanical fatigue conditions, using interpolation between the isothermal material constants to predict the material behaviour under anisothermal conditions.     

The role of creep and fatigue in determining the high-temperature behaviour of AISI H11 tempered steel for aluminium extrusion dies

The present study was aimed to analyze the effect of loading cycles on the behaviour of the AISI H11 tool steel commonly used for aluminium extrusion dies working at high temperatures and under high, cyclic stresses. A technological test method in which the specimen geometry resembled the mandrel of a hollow extrusion die was developed. Finite element analyses were performed to aid in determining specimen geometry and dimensions as well as the levels of stress to be applied to the specimen so as to replicate the conditions typically encountered by industrial hollow extrusion dies. Tests were performed on a Gleeble thermomechanical simulator by heating the specimen using Joule's effect and by applying loading for up to 6.30 h or till specimen failure. Displacements during the tests at 380, 490, 540 and 580 °C and under the average stresses of 400, 600 and 800 MPa were determined. The specimens were tested under creep (with the load held at a fixed value), fatigue (cyclic loading) and creep–fatigue (cyclic loading with a 3 min dwell-time) loading, thereby allowing a direct comparison between different deforming mechanisms. The results showed that the test could physically simulate the cyclic loading on the hollow die during aluminium extrusion and that the creep condition represented the most severe working condition. In addition, the tests could reveal the interaction between creep and fatigue mechanisms.     

An Analytical Model for Compressive Creep Behavior of HDPE Used in Plastic Pipe Manufacturing

The creep behavior of high-density polyethylene has been studied by low compressive creep tests, and empirical results were analyzed and compared with analytically predicted results. The tests are performed upon ASTM standard specimens at various stress levels in the linear region. After these analyses, a mathematical model is derived and used to predict creep strain for long periods of time from the strain-time data obtained at different stresses over a time interval of 24 h.     

Study of creep cavitation in stainless steel weldment

Abstract

A study of creep cavities near reheat cracking in AISI Type 316H austenitic stainless steel headers, removed from prolonged high temperature operation in nuclear power plants, is reported. It is shown how application of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), cryogenic fractography and small angle neutron scattering (SANS) can be applied, in a complementary way, to observe and quantify creep cavitation. Creep cavities in the vicinity of the crack are found to be mainly surrounding inter-granular carbides. Trends in the size and area fraction of creep cavities relative to the crack path are quantified using optimised metallography. The SANS technique is found to be a very suitable method of quantifying creep cavitation within the size range up to 600 nm averaged over a larger gauge volume. It is shown that the cavity size distribution peaks in the region 100–300 nm, and this correlates closely with the quantitative SEM observations.     

Effect of creep deformation on Z phase formation in Gr.91 steel

Abstract

In order to make clear the effect of creep deformation on Z phase formation in Gr.91 steel, creep interrupted tests were performed for 10?000, 20?000, 30?000, 50?000 and 70?000 h at 600°C under 70 MPa. The time to rupture was 80?736·8 h at 600°C under 70 MPa. Z phase was observed in the vicinity of prior austenite grain boundaries in the grip and gauge portions after creep deformation for 10?000 h and more. Number density of Z phase particles increased with increasing creep time in the grip and gauge portions. The number densities of MX carbonitrides particles in the grip and gauge portions clearly started to decrease after 30?000 h corresponding to increase in number density of Z phase. In the gauge portion, the number density of MX carbonitrides particles was almost the same as that of Z phase particles after creep rupture, meaning that a large number of MX carbonitrides particles were disappeared. The number density of Z phase particles in the gauge portion was 2·5 times of that in the grip portion after creep rupture. This indicates that creep deformation promotes the Z phase formation.     

Effects of Particle Crushing in Stress Drop-Relaxation Experiments on Crushed Coral Sand

Stress relaxation and stress drop-relaxation tests have been performed to complement a test series performed to study strain rate, creep, and stress drop-creep effects on crushed coral sand. Drained experiments with constant effective confining pressure of 200 kPa were performed in which triaxial specimens of crushed coral sand were loaded to initial stress differences of 500, 700, and 900 kPa, followed by stress drops of 0, 100, 200, 300, and 400 kPa at which points the axial strains were kept constant while the axial stress relaxation and the volumetric strains were observed. The stress drops produced delays in initiation of stress relaxation that were proportional with the magnitudes of the stress drops. The experiments show that sands do not exhibit classic viscous effects, and their behavior is indicated as “nonisotach,” while the typical viscous behavior of clay is termed “isotach.” Thus, there are significant differences in the time-dependent behavior patterns of sands and clay. A mechanistic picture of time effects in sands is proposed.     

The consequences of recovery for the analysis of creep in steel structures

Creep strain and recovery data for ferritic steels are used to construct a simple model that separates permanent strain from visco-elastic, recoverable strain. The model is shown to be consistent with data from tests under gradually varying stress. The implications of this model are examined for the design analysis of representative structures. It is shown that the modelling of recovery is important in some circumstances and not in others.     

Study on effects of solar radiation and rain on shrinkage, shrinkage cracking and creep of concrete

In this paper, the effects of actual environmental actions on shrinkage, creep and shrinkage cracking of concrete are studied comprehensively. Prismatic specimens of plain concrete were exposed to three sets of artificial outdoor conditions with or without solar radiation and rain to examine the shrinkage. For the purpose of studying shrinkage cracking behavior, prismatic concrete specimens with reinforcing steel were also subjected to the above conditions at the same time. The shrinkage behavior is described focusing on the effects of solar radiation and rain based on the moisture loss. The significant environment actions to induce shrinkage cracks are investigated from viewpoints of the amount of the shrinkage and the tensile strength. Finally, specific compressive creep behavior according to solar radiation and rainfall is discussed. It is found that rain can greatly inhibit the progresses of concrete shrinkage and creep while solar radiation is likely to promote shrinkage cracking and creep.