Creep crack growth characteristics of polypropylene film at various temperatures

Creep crack growth rates were measured using centrally cracked tension specimens of thin polypropylene film at various temperatures and stress levels. The creep crack growth rates were correlated with the stress intensity factor. The experimental results showed that there is the region of the minimum constant crack growth rate which occupies more than 75% of the total creep failure life. This steady or constant creep crack growth rate depends on the test temperature and the initial stress intensity factor. The constant creep crack growth rate characteristics were analyzed on the basis of the Arrhenius type thermally activated process. It is found that creep crack growth behavior is closely related to the crack tip opening displacement and the creep zone size.     

Theoretical-Experimental Model for Predicting Crack Growth Rate in Structural Alloys of Aircraft Gas Turbine Engine Disks with Regard to Fatigue and Creep

Hold times of 300 and 3600 s under trapezoidal cyclic loading are shown to result in an increase in crack growth rates by many factors of ten for EP962 alloy and several times for EP742 alloy at a temperature 973 K. It has been found that in case the creep crack growth diagram has a first segment where the crack growth rate decreases, the crack growth kinetics under trapezoidal cyclic loading can be predicted by means of the hypothesis of linear summation of fatigue and creep crack growth rates considering special features of the first segment of the creep crack growth diagram. The authors put forward empirical approaches to determining the mean rate on the first segment of the creep crack growth diagram. __________ Translated from Problemy Prochnosti, No. 6, pp. 15 – 25, November – December, 2005.     

Crack propagation behavior under creep conditions

The creep crack propagation behavior of a Cr–Mo–V rotor steel has been investigated at 538°C using time-dependent fracture mechanics concepts. The creep crack propagation lives and the creep deflection rates of double-edge-notched (DEN) specimens were estimated using previous data from compact-type specimens. The predicted crack growth lives and deflection rates compared favorably with the experimental data. When plotted as a function of the C _t parameter, the experimentally determined creep crack propagation rates of DEN specimens were found to be in agreement with those of compact and center-crack-tension specimens. These results provide further experimental verification for the validity of the C _t parameter for characterizing creep crack growth behavior. Some discrepancies between the predicted and the observed behavior are attributed to primary creep deformation behavior which was not considered in estimating the value of C _t .     

Creep Crack Growth in Polyethylene Under Combined Mode I and Mode II Loading

Creep crack growth characteristics under various combined mode I and mode II loadings were studied using the compact tension shear (CTS) specimens of polyethylene. Creep crack growth rates da/dtunder combined mode I and mode II loading can be correlated with a single effective stress intensity factor K _Ieffderived from the combined — mode fracture toughness envelope. The steady state or constant crack growth rates which occupy the significant part of creep failure life increase with the increasing initial effective stress intensity factor.     

An Assessment of the C* and KI Parameters for Predicting Creep Crack Growth in a Ni-Base Superalloy (Waspaloy) at 700^C

The results of experimental creep crack growth tests, using compact tension specimens, made from a Ni-base superalloy (Waspaloy) at 700^{^}C are presented. The experimental results indicate that the creep crack growth rate data for the Ni-base superalloy Waspaloy, at 700^{^}C, can be correlated using the C^* parameter, calculated from load-line displacement rates. The mode-I stress intensity factor, K_I, does not appear to be capable of correlating the data except at high creep crack propagation rates. Analytical solutions indicate that creep crack growth was occurring under transient creep conditions in the experiments. Finite element (FE) simulations were performed in which the experimentally determined crack growth versus time results were imposed. The good agreement between the resulting FE solutions for load-line displacements and corresponding C^* values with the experimental results show that the FE simulation was successful. The FE simulation revealed that the creep zone increases as the crack growth and a transient state of creep occurs in the vicinity of the advancing crack tip. An apparent correlation between the crack growth rates and the C^* parameter has been shown. This information is helpful in assessing the likely usefulness of the C^* and K_I parameters for predicting creep crack growth in more general situations. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Crack growth by grain boundary cavitation in the transient and extensive creep regimes

Crack growth due to cavity growth and coalescence along grain boundaries is analyzed under transient and extensive creep conditions in a compact tension specimen. Account is taken of the finite geometry changes accompanying crack tip blunting. The material is characterized as an elastic-power law creeping solid with an additional contribution to the creep rate arising from a given density of cavitating grain boundary facets. All voids are assumed present from the outset and distributed on a given density of cavitating grain boundary facets. The evolution of the stress fields with crack growth under three load histories is described in some detail for a relatively ductile material. The full-field plane strain finite element calculations show the competing effects of stress relaxation due to constrained creep, diffusion and crack tip blunting, and of stress increase due to the instantaneous elastic response to crack growth. At very high crack growth rates the Hui-Riedel fields dominate the crack tip region. However, the high growth rates are not sustained for any length of time in the compact tension geometry analyzed. The region of dominance of the Hui-Riedel field shrinks rapidly so that the near-tip fields are controlled by the HRR-type field shortly after the onset of crack growth. Crack growth rates under various conditions of loading and spanning the range of times from small scale creep to extensive creep are obtained. We show that there is a strong similarity between crack growth history and the behaviour of the C(t) and C _t parameters, so that crack growth rates correlate rather well with C(t) and C _t .A relatively brittle material is also considered that has a very different near-tip stress field and crack growth history.Visiting Professor, Brown University, August 1988 through December 1989.     

Creep crack propagation at elevated temperature in a heat-resistant steel

The creep crack propagation behaviour of a 25 Cr-20 Ni heat-resistant steel at 1103 to 1163 K has been studied using a CT-specimen with a thickness of 3 to 9 mm. With increasing specimen thickness, the crack growth rates increase in the thickness range 6 to 9 mm but remain almost constant in the range 3 to 6 mm. The temperature dependence of crack growth rates can be related to a thermally activated process of creep crack propagation. A creep mechanism is suggested to be the rate controlling process of creep crack propagation. The activation energy of creep crack propagation increases with increasing stress intensity factor. The effect of microstructure on crack growth rates shows that the as-cast specimen has a much higher crack growth rate than specimens pre-aged for 1500 to 8000 h and the specimen aged for 5000 h has the optimum crack propagation resistance. The characteristics of creep crack propagation are explained by the variation of microstructure with ageing, especially the size, distribution and stability of secondary carbides and the morphology of eutectic carbides.     

Numerical investigation of creep crack growth in cross‐weld CT specimens. Part II: influence of specimen size

A numerical investigation of the influence of specimen size on creep crack growth in cross‐weld CT specimens with material properties of 2.25Cr1Mo at 550 °C is performed. A three‐dimensional large strain and large displacement finite element study is carried out, where the material properties and specimen size are varied under constant load for a total of eight different configurations. The load level is chosen such that the stress intensity factor becomes 20 MPa √m regardless of specimen size. The creep crack growth rate is calculated using a creep ductility‐based damage model, in which the creep strain rate ahead of the crack tip perpendicular to the crack plane is integrated taking the degree of constraint into account. Although the constraint ahead of the crack tip is higher for the larger specimens, the results show that the creep crack growth (CCG) rate is higher for the smaller specimens than for the larger ones. This is due to much higher creep strain rates ahead of the crack tip for the smaller specimens. If, on the other hand, the CCG rate is evaluated under a constant C * condition, the creep crack growth rate is found to be higher for the larger specimens, except when the crack is located in a HAZ embedded in a material with a lower minimum creep strain rate; then, the creep crack growth rate is predicted to be higher for the smaller specimen. In view of these results, it is obvious that the size effect needs to be considered in assessments of defected welded components using results from CCG testing of cross‐weld CT specimens.     

Stress Intensity Controlled Kinetic Crack Growth and Stress History Dependent Life Prediction with Statistical Variability

Consistent with viscoelastic behavior, a power law form in terms of the stress intensity factor is used to specify crack kinetics (growth rate) in the central crack problem under Mode I conditions. The crack growth rate is integrated to obtain the crack size and thereby the stress intensity factor as a function of time. The crack is allowed to grow in a controlled, load dependent manner until it reaches the size at which it becomes unstable. The corresponding time at which this occurs is taken as the lifetime of the material under the specified load history. The special cases of constant load (creep rupture) and constant strain rate to failure are found to have a very simple relationship with each other. This lifetime relationship is verified through the comparison with corresponding data upon a polymeric composite. Finally the creep rupture case is generalized to a probabilistic formalism. The theoretically predicted lifetime distribution functions are verified with data, also upon a polymeric composite. Possible extension of the entire formalism to cyclic fatigue in metals is discussed. Dedicated to Professor Z.P. Bažant for his many contributions.     

CREEP, FATIGUE AND CREEP-FATIGUE CRACK GROWTH RATES IN PARENT AND SIMULATED HAZ TYPE 321 STAINLESS STEEL

Abstract— Crack growth rate data are presented from a range of fully reversed displacement-controlled fatigue and creep-Fatigue tests and from static load-controlled creep crack growth tests on aged 321 stainless steel (parent and simulated HAZ) at 650 ° C. In the creep fatigue tests, constant displacement tensile hold periods of 12–192 h were used. Crack growth rates comprised both cyclic and dwell period contributions. Cyclic growth contributions are described by a Paris-type law and give faster crack growth rates than those associated with pure fatigue tests. Dwell period contributions are described by the C* parameter. The total cyclic crack growth rates are given by summing the cyclic and dwell period contributions. Estimates of C* using a reference stress approach together with the appropriate stress relaxation creep data are shown to correlate well with experimentally measured C* values. Crack growth rates during static load-controlled tests correlate well with C* . Good agreement is obtained between crack growth rates during the static tests and those produced during the hold period of the creep-fatigue tests.     

Crack propagation during steady state creep

A model is proposed tor the steady propagation of a creep crack under steady state creep conditions. Creep is envisaged to take place everywhere in the solid, though higher creep rates at the crick tip lead to a local concentration of the creep strain. A critical local strain criterion is used to describe the condition for crack advance. Local damage is envisaged to accumulate at the crack tip as a result of, or in parallel with the creep strain. The model correctly predicts a dependence of crack propagation rate with the nett section stress varied to the power m, where m is the exponent of stress in the creep equation, for large values of m. An approximate dependence of propagation rate on the elastic stress intensity factor is also shown. Tnese predictions are in accord with experimental work.     

Influence of prior cyclic hardening on high temperature deformation and crack growth in type 316L (N) stainless steel

For power generating equipment subjected to cyclic loading at high temperature, crack growth could arise from the combinations of fatigue and creep processes. There is potential for the material to undergo hardening (or more generally changes of material state) as a consequence of cyclic loading. Results of an experimental study to examine the influence of prior cyclic hardening on subsequent creep deformation are presented for type 316L(N) stainless steel at 600°C. Experiments were also carried out to explore creep crack growth at constant load, and crack growth for intermittent cyclic loading. For the as-received material there is substantial primary creep (hardening) at constant load, while for the cyclically hardened material at constant load the creep curves show recovery, and increasing creep rate with increasing time. Specimens subjected to prior cyclic hardening were also used for a series of creep and creep-fatigue crack growth tests. These tests demonstrated that there was accelerated crack growth compared to crack growth in as-received material.     

Effect of hold time and environment on Fatigue Crack Growth Rate in Ti Alloys

In titanium alloys an effect of hold time at maximum load in a cyclic test is observed if K_max exceeds the threshold for crack propagation at a constant load test. For tests in air it is possible to predict crack growth rate for a hold time cycle from the crack growth rates from a cyclic test with triangular wave form and a constant load test. In 3.5% NaCl solution the measured crack growth rate is lower than the predicted.     

Time-dependent crack growth characterization using rate integrals

This paper investigates the utility of the rate forms of Kishimoto et al.'s integral () and Blackburn's integral (J^*) as parameters for correlating time-dependent crack growth rates. These rate integrals are computed from the results of finite element analyses of crack growth in button-head single edge notch specimens of Alloy 718. The specimens are tested under constant strain and constant load conditions at 593°C and 649°C. The crack tip deformation includes large-scale plasticity, primary and secondary creep. The measured crack growth rates are correlated with the computed rate integrals. The results show that both integrals can consolidate the crack growth data very well.     

Issues relating to numerical modelling of creep crack growth

In this paper creep crack growth behaviour of P92 welds at 923 K are presented. Creep crack growth behaviour for P92 welds are discussed with C^* parameter. Creep crack growth behaviour of P92 welds has been compared with that of P91 welds with C^* parameter. NSW and NSW-MOD model were compared with the experimental creep crack growth data. Plane strain NSW model significantly overestimates the crack growth rate, and plane stress NSW model underestimates it. Whilst, NSW-MOD model for plane stress and plane strain conditions gives lower and upper bound of the experimental data, respectively.FE analysis of creep crack growth has been conducted. Constrain effect for welded joints has been examined with C^* line integrals of C(T) specimens. As a result, constant C^* value using the material data of welded joint gives 10 times lower than that of only HAZ property. Whilst, the predicted CCG rates for welded joint are 10 times higher than those for only HAZ properties. Compared with predicted CCG rate from FE analysis and the experimental CCG rate, it can be suggested that creep crack growth tests for lower load level or for large specimen should be conducted, otherwise the experimental data should give unconservative estimation for components operated in long years.     

P92钢蠕变-疲劳交互作用下的裂纹扩展行为EI北大核心CSCD

在630℃下,对P92钢进行应力控制下的蠕变-疲劳交互作用实验,研究P92钢高温蠕变-疲劳交互作用下的裂纹扩展行为,并结合断口形貌分析蠕变-疲劳裂纹扩展的机理以及a-N曲线的转折点含义。结果表明:P92钢在蠕变-疲劳交互作用下的断裂属于蠕变韧性断裂,应该用(C_t)_(avg)作为裂纹扩展的断裂参量;P92钢在蠕变-疲劳交互条件下,试样的断口主要表现为蠕变孔洞以及微裂纹。此外,发现a-lg(N_i/N_f)曲线以及(da-dN)-N曲线中的拐点,分别对应蠕变-疲劳裂纹萌生区向扩展区转变周次以及扩展区向瞬断区转变的周次。     

Elevated Temperature Fatigue Crack Growth rate model for NI-BASE Superalloys

Several time-dependent mechanisms are operational in the crack growth process of Ni-base superalloys at elevated temperature. Creep deformation during periods of sustained loading, oxygen diffusion at the crack tip, and oxidation reactions at and in front of the crack tip all contribute to the kinetics of crack growth. A crack growth rate model has been derived that attempts to capture the physics of these various rate processes. The proposed model assumes small-scale creep at the crack tip and incorporates the Hutchinson-Rice-Rosengren stress field equations to satisfy this condition. The model also includes stress-assisted diffusion of an environmental species at the crack tip. A process reaction rate is related to the time-rate of crack growth providing a model that accounts for these time-dependent processes. An evaluation of the form of the model is provided by comparison of the model with experimental crack growth data.     

Crack growth in a new nickel-based superalloy at elevated temperature

Crack growth at elevated temperature has been examined in a new fine-grained nickel-based superalloy under triangular, fast-slow, slow-fast, dwell and sustained loading conditions at 650 and 725C. The effect of loading waveform seems to be minimal for base frequencies over 0.01 Hz with a mixture of time and cycle dependent crack growth observed for all but the fast-slow waveform, where the crack growth remained cycle-dependent and the crack growth rate mostly constant. For base frequencies less than 0.01 Hz, crack growth under dwell load clearly accelerated and the crack growth rates were comparable with those under sustained load. Creep contribution was found to be negligible while crack tip constraint may be relevant to the out-of-plane crack growth observed under predominantly sustained load conditions.     

基于C(t)积分及参数Ac的P92钢高温蠕变裂纹扩展研究

对于在高温环境下工作的构件,蠕变裂纹扩展是一种主要的失效机制,而裂纹尖端的拘束水平对蠕变裂纹扩展率有很大的影响。通过数值仿真与相关试验数据对比的方法,对裂纹扩展尖端的应力应变率场表征参量C(t)积分进行了相关研究,并基于参数Ac研究了P92材料裂纹尖端的拘束水平对蠕变裂纹扩展的影响。研究结果表明,C(t)积分值随裂纹扩展急剧减小,其数值及变化与积分路径到裂纹尖端的距离相关性很强,并且与拘束水平有一定的关系;拘束水平影响蠕变裂纹扩展率,拘束越大,裂纹扩展速率越快;参数Ac可以有效表征裂纹尖端拘束水平,其在寿命预测方面的应用有待进一步研究,同时在含裂纹的高温工作构件寿命评估方面有重大的意义。     

Crack growth in discontinuous glass fibre reinforced polypropylene under dynamic and static loading conditions

Crack propagation in single edge notched tensile specimens of isotactic polypropylene reinforced with short E-glass fibres has been investigated under both fatigue and creep loading conditions. Fatigue crack propagation (FCP) experiments have been performed at three different frequencies (0.1, 1, 10 Hz) and at a mean applied tensile load of 1200 N. Isothermal creep crack propagation (CCP) tests have been conducted under a constant tensile applied load of 1200 N at various temperatures in the range from 32 to 60 °C. Analysis of FCP data allowed an estimation of the pure fatigue and pure creep components of the crack velocity under the adopted cyclic loading conditions. Crack growth at low frequencies (0.1 and 1 Hz) is mainly associated with a non-isothermal creep process. At higher frequency (10 Hz), the pure fatigue contribution appeared more pronounced. Finally, the comparison of FCP and CCP as a function of the mean applied stress intensity factor confirmed the major contribution of creep crack growth during FCP process at low frequencies.