Computation and experimental analysis of the resistance of superalloys to low cycle deformations

Abstract

Diagrams of cyclic elastoplastic deformation in a general case characterize the resistance of a material to a low cycle loading and display a relation between current values of stresses and strains during deformation process. Those diagrams in the mechanics of deformation and fracture are described by rather complicated state equations with a nonlinear dependence on conditions and modes of loading including temperature, deformation rate, cycle form, type of the stress state, absolute size of sections, working medium, type of constructional material, etc. The entity of aforementioned factors affects a shape of the deformation curve (diagram) of the material and key parameters of the corresponding state equations, including basic characteristics of the mechanical properties, i.e., the elasticity module, yield point and ultimate stress, indicators of static and cyclic hardening. Experimental data on the kinetics of cyclic and one-way accumulated plastic strains in each loading half-cycle (cycle) obtained in static and low cycle tests of nickel superalloy specimens revealed that change in deformation characteristics exhibit a drastically nonlinear character in conditions of cyclic elastoplastic strain which is described on the basis of power equations and corresponding parameters of cyclic deformation diagrams. The parameters of those equations depend on the type of cyclically hardening/softening or stable material under deformation of the material in elastoplastic region. It is noted that resistance of materials to cyclic elastic-plastic strain can be described by a set of analytical expressions containing a kinetic function (which changes with number of loading half-cycles) in the form of power or exponential expressions depending on the cyclic properties and characteristics of the mechanical properties of the specific structural material. The obtained calculated and experimental data on the kinetics of strain of the alloy under study in conditions of cyclic elastoplastic loading, as well as on the parameters of the strain diagram (which are basic characteristics for the corresponding state equations) provide the possibility to take full advantage of using the deformation-kinetic criteria of damage accumulation under considered loading conditions to calculate the fatigue life of the structural elements manufactured from the alloy and operated, as a rule, under severe temperature and heavy-loaded conditions. The results of the experiments and calculations are given in the form of diagrams of cycle-by-cycle kinetics of the cyclic and accumulated plastic strains of the material for the soft and hard modes of loading in a wide range of test temperatures.