Prediction of long-term creep behaviour of Grade 91 steel at 873 K in the framework of microstructure-based creep damage mechanics approach

Abstract

A detailed analysis has been performed for the prediction of long-term creep behaviour of tempered martensitic Grade 91 steel at 873 K using the microstructure-based creep damage mechanics approach. Necessary modifications have been made into the original kinetic creep law proposed by Dyson and McLean in order to account for the influence of microstructural damages arising from the coarsening of M23C6 and conversion of useful MX precipitates into deleterious Z-phase on creep behaviour of the steel. An exponential rate relationship has been introduced for the evolution of number density of MX precipitates with time. It has been shown that the developed model adequately predicts the experimental long-term creep strain–time as well as creep rate-time data. The role of Z-phase on long-term creep behaviour of Grade 91 steel has also been discussed.