The creep-rupture properties and the initiation and growth of the grain-boundary cracks in the cobalt-base HS-21 alloy

The effect of the grain-boundary microstructures on the creep-rupture properties and the initiation and growth of the grain-boundary cracks was investigated using four kinds of specimen of various grain-boundary microstructures in the cobalt-base HS-21 alloy at 1089 K in air. Both the rupture strength and the creep ductility increased with increasing mean value of the fractal dimension of the grain boundaries, Dgb. The strain to crack initiation was largest in the specimen of the highest value (1.241), while the strain was much the same in the specimens of the Dgb value less than 1.162. This was explained by the local variation in the grain-boundary microstructures in these specimens. The mean value of the fractal dimension of the grain-boundary fracture, Df, was close to the value of Dgb, although the value of Df was a little higher than that of Dgb in the specimens of the lower Dgb values. The fracture appearance changed from a brittle grain-boundary fracture to a ductile one with increasing values of Dgb and Df. The crack-growth rate is the surface-notched specimens decreased with increasing value of Dgb. The threshold stress intensity factor for crack growth was higher in the specimens with the higher Dgb values. This revised version was published online in November 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.