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Module Module #40 #40
Creep-Fatigue Interaction
Learning Objectives
Prof. M.L. Weaver
Creep Creep- -Fatigue Interactions Fatigue Interactions
Most materials are exposed to more than one
type of environment. This may include:
High temperature creep
C li l di f ti Cyclic loading fatigue
Corrosive environment embrittlement
This combination makes interpretation of results
difficult.
Prof. M.L. Weaver
In design, empirical relationships (often lacking a
serious theoretical or fundamental basis) are
used to account for this.
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Creep Creep- -Fatigue Interactions Fatigue Interactions
Ex. High-temperature turbine blade in an aircraft
engine:
Temperatures are in the creep regime. p p g
Physically the environment is toxic.
Rotational stresses and CTE differences produce
cyclic loading (particularly during startup).
H tif h t i ?
Prof. M.L. Weaver
How can we quantify whats going on?
Lets look at this in a simplified way.
FIRST FIRST
Lets review our basic
fracture mechanisms before
proceeding
Prof. M.L. Weaver
(assuming tensile loading)
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Prof. M.L. Weaver
Fig. 11.20 Schematic classification of major fracture mechanisms. From R. Phillips, Crystals, Defects and
Microstructures: Modeling across Length Scales, (Cambridge, 2001) p. 619. Originally adapted from Ashby,
Gandhi and Taplan, Overview No. 3: Fracture-mechanism maps and their construction for F.C.C. metals and
alloys, Acta Metallurgica 27 (1979) 699-729.
Modes of High Modes of High--Temperature Fracture Temperature Fracture
Ductile and transgranular creep fracture.
Fig. 3 Requires (a) either that holes pre-exist or
that they nucleate at inclusions that concentrate
stress (b) The holes elongate as the specimen is
Intergranular creep-controlled fracture.
Fig. 4 (a,b) Grain boundary sliding stimulates
nucleation of grain boundary voids. (c), the voids
grow by diffusion but diffusion fields of
(a) (b) (c) (a) (b) (c)
Prof. M.L. Weaver
stress. (b) The holes elongate as the specimen is
extended. (c) They link, causing fracture when
their length is approximately equal to their
separation (2h 2l 2r
v
).
Figures from M.F. Ashby, C. Gandhi, and D.M.R. Taplin, Overview no. 3: Fracture-mechanism maps and their construction
for f.c.c. metals and alloys, Acta Metallurgica 27 (1979) 699-730.
grow by diffusion, but diffusion fields of
neighboring voids do not overlap, so that each void
is contained within a cage of power-law creeping
material.
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Modes of High Modes of High--Temperature Fracture Temperature Fracture
Rupture at high temperatures.
Fig. 6 Generally associated with dynamic recovery
or recrystallization.
Diffusional void growth.
Fig. 5 Voids that lie on boundaries which carry a
tensile stress can grow by diffusion. This
h i i th li iti f th t h i th
(a) (b)
(a) (b)
Prof. M.L. Weaver
or recrystallization.
mechanism is the limiting case of that shown in the
Figure to the left when the diffusion fields of the
growing voids overlap.
Figures from M.F. Ashby, C. Gandhi, and D.M.R. Taplin, Overview no. 3: Fracture-mechanism maps and their construction
for f.c.c. metals and alloys, Acta Metallurgica 27 (1979) 699-730.
Modes of Fatigue Fracture Modes of Fatigue Fracture
I II III

I. Crack initiation
II. Crack propagation or
stable crack growth
III. Unstable crack growth
or failure
1 2
Prof. M.L. Weaver
Figure
(a) Stages of fatigue crack propagation and (b) schematic representation of a fatigue fracture crack
markings found on a fractured part. Figures adapted from Meyers and Chawla, 1
st
Edition. (a) from p.
607 and (b) p. 615.

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SECOND SECOND
How can we describe whats going on?
Is it creep? Is it fatigue?
Is it something else?
Prof. M.L. Weaver
Is it something else?
CCreep reep- -F Fatigue Interactions atigue Interactions
Cyclic stress or strain amplitude is small compared
to the mean stress (i.e., o
a
<< o
m
).
When temperature is high and the applied cyclic
frequency is low.
This is creep accelerated by fatigue.
Fracture surfaces exhibit a tendency towards
Prof. M.L. Weaver
Fracture surfaces exhibit a tendency towards
intergranular fracture (like tensile specimens
deformed to failure at high temperatures).
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FFatigue atigue- -C Creep Interactions reep Interactions
Cyclic stress or strain amplitude is large compared
to the mean stress (i.e., o
a
>> o
m
).
Also when temperature is low and the applied
frequency is high.
This is fatigue accelerated by creep.
Fracture surfaces are manifested by fatigue
Prof. M.L. Weaver
Fracture surfaces are manifested by fatigue
striations and regions of transgranular fracture.
Micro Micro--mechanisms of Damage mechanisms of Damage
Key issue is initiation of fatigue cracks.
Fatigue crack nucleation occurs via:*
Cyclic slip
Grain boundary cavitation
Grain boundary sliding and associated development of wedge
cracks
Nucleation and growth of voids at inclusions/precipitates
Prof. M.L. Weaver
Oxidation and corrosion
Lets consider one example, as presented in Courtneys
text. Ill leave you to study the rest
* S. Suresh, Fatigue of Materials, 2
nd
Edition (Cambridge University Press, 1998) 589-603.
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Creep Creep--Fatigue Testing Fatigue Testing
Various waveforms are used to
simulate service conditions in lab
experiments.
Continuous strain cycling,

0/0

Tension strain hold, t/0
Introduce a hold at maximum
strain for a period of time.
Longer hold times result in
decreased cyclic frequency,
allowing for deformation and
stress relaxation to occur
t t

Compression strain hold, 0/t

Tension and compression strain hold t/t
Prof. M.L. Weaver
stress relaxation to occur.
Environmental effects can also
be important.
Fig. 23.1 Waveforms used in creep-fatigue testing. Strain
holds are denoted with bold red lines. Figure adapted from
T. Goswami and H. Hnninen, Dwell effects on high
temperature fatigue damage mechanisms Part I, Materials
and Design 22 (2001) 199-215.

Tension and compression strain hold, t/t

Creep Creep- -Fatigue Interaction Fatigue Interaction
How does cyclic loading impact creep?
f f Recall from fracture mechanics:
Tensile stresses tend to open up cracks whereas
compressive stresses tend to close (i.e. heal)
cracks.
Prof. M.L. Weaver
WHY?
However, cyclic loading, even in compression,
accelerates creep.
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Creep Creep- -Fatigue Interaction Fatigue Interaction
Figure 12.28
Schematic illustrating how a cylindrical
strain can accelerate void growth in a
creeping material. (a) A cavity is situated
on a grain boundary. (b) during boundary
equilibrium dihedral angles
displacement
sliding the respective halves of the cavity
are displaced, and (c) a diffusive flux
results so as to maintain the equilibrium
dihedral angle at the boundary-cavity
junction. (d) This results in cavity growth
and (e) the process is repeated on stress
reversal. (Figure copied from page 603 of
Courtney 2
nd
Edition Original figure from
Diffusion to maintain
angles
cavity growth
Prof. M.L. Weaver
This is just one proposed explanation!
Courtney, 2
nd
Edition. Original figure from
C. Wigmore and G.C. Smith, Metal Science
Journal, v. 5 (1971) p. 58.)
cavity growth
REPEAT
THIRD THIRD
Are there any useful empirical creep-
fatigue correlations?
Prof. M.L. Weaver
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Combine Palmgren-Miner (P-M) rule for fatigue life with
Robinsons (R) rule for creep life under various T
combinations.
Fracture Criterion for Creep Fracture Criterion for Creep--Fatigue Fatigue
1
# cycles at stress amplitude
# cycles to failure at stress amplitude
time spent at stress-temperature combination
i i
fi fi
i ai
fi ai
i
N t
N t
N
N
t
o
o
+ =
=
=
=

Prof. M.L. Weaver
Keep in mind that P-M and R rules have restrictions and
limitations.
time spent at stress temperature combination
creep fracture life
i
fi
t
t =
Fracture Criterion for Creep Fracture Criterion for Creep--Fatigue Fatigue
1
# cycles at stress amplitude
# cycles to failure at stress amplitude
i i
fi fi
i ai
N t
N t
N
N
o
o
+ =
=

# cycles to failure at stress amplitude
time spent at stress-temperature combination
creep fracture life
fi ai
i
fi
N
t
t
o =
=
=
1
Prof. M.L. Weaver
i
fi
N
N

0 1
Linear
model
Rule/model predicts
linear behavior.
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Fracture Criterion for Creep Fracture Criterion for Creep--Fatigue Fatigue
1
# cycles at stress amplitude
# cycles to failure at stress amplitude
i i
fi fi
i ai
N t
N t
N
N
o
o
+ =
=

1
Cyclical work-
hardening material
# cycles to failure at stress amplitude
time spent at stress-temperature combination
creep fracture life
fi ai
i
fi
N
t
t
o =
=
=
Prof. M.L. Weaver
However, actual
materials often exhibit
different behaviors.
Model makes conservative
predictions for these types
of materials
i
fi
N
N

Model makes
un-safe predictions for these
types of materials
0 1
Cyclical work-
softening material
Linear
model
FOURTH FOURTH
Environment/atmosphere influences
fracture and influences creep.
How does it influence CF/FC interaction?
Prof. M.L. Weaver
How does it influence CF/FC interaction?
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Influence of Environment Influence of Environment
Exposure to high temperatures generally reduces N
f
at a given Ac
pl
.
Oxygen in air can also
have an embrittling
ff t th f ti effect on the fatigue
life of materials.
Elevated temperatures
can enhance this effect.
The next pages shows this.
The frequency of cyclic
Prof. M.L. Weaver
[Courtney, 2
nd
Edition, p. 604]
The frequency of cyclic
loading () also has an
effect. When is lower,
sample lifetimes are
smaller for a given
plastic strain range.
Creep Creep--Fatigue Failure Mapping Fatigue Failure Mapping
Proposed by Hales as a way to interpret experimental results and to predict
fracture modes under C-F conditions.
Fig 11 Schematic showing how creep and fatigue
Prof. M.L. Weaver
1. R. Hales, A quantitative metallographic assessment of structural degradation of type 316 stainless steel during
creep-fatigue, Fatigue of Engineering Materials and Structures 3 (1980) 339-356.
2. R. Hales, Fatigue Testing Methods at Elevated Temperatures, in Fatigue at High Temperatures, edited by R.P.
Skelton (Academic Science Publishers, London, 1983) pp. 63-96.
Fig. 10 Schematic diagram showing the range of
conditions that need to be considered in studies of
high temperature fatigue. From Ref. [2].
Fig. 11 Schematic showing how creep and fatigue
mechanisms can produce different failure modes.
From Ref. [2].
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Creep Creep--Fatigue Failure Mapping Fatigue Failure Mapping
Transgranular
high-cycle
fatigue
Transgranular
high-cycle
Prof. M.L. Weaver
Figure 12.29
Experimental fatigue fracture maps for two copper alloys: (a) copper alloy 175 and (b) AMAX MC. At low
temperatures, LCF is supplanted by tensile failure as c
p
increases. For alloy 175, cavitation occurs for 0.4 T/T
m
0.6
while oxygen-initiated failure occurs for 0.6 T/T
m
. Contours associated with constant N
f
are superimposed on the map.
Cavitation is associated with a large decrease in fracture strain. [Figures adapted from Courtney, 1
st
Edition, p. 589.
Originally from D.M.R. Taplin and A.L. Collins, Fracture at High Temperatures Under Cyclic Loading, in Annual
Review of Materials Science, 8 (1978) 235-268]
fatigue
fatigue
Testing Condition Beneficial Effects Detrimental Effects
1. | Temp. or + frequency
during LCF testing
Slip dispersal
Strain aging
Crack-tip blunting
Microstructural coarsening
Creep damage
Environmental effects
Table 1
Summary of processes than can play a role under conditions of creep-fatigue interaction
2. | Temp. or + frequency
during LCF testing
Elimination of creep and
environmental effects
Increased planarity of slip
3. Tensile holds during LCF
testing
Development of a
compressive mean
stress
Creep damage in form of
g.b. cavities
4. Compressive holds
during LCF testing
Sintering of g.b. cavities Development of tensile
mean stress
5. Fatigue followed by
creep loading
Cyclic work hardening Cyclic work softening
6. Creep followed by
fatigue loading
Precipitation of
strengthening phases
Little effect when g.b.
damage does not occur
Prof. M.L. Weaver
See p. 316 of the reference below for the original table and the full article for a detailed reference list with explanations.
J.K. Tien, S.V. Nair, V.C. Nardone, Creep-Fatigue Interaction in Structural Alloys, in Superalloys, Supercomposites
and Superceramics, edited by J.K. Tien and T. Caulfield, (Academic Press, 1989) Ch. 10, pp. 301-337.
fatigue loading strengthening phases damage does not occur
7. Cyclic creep Anelastic strain storage
recovery
Metallurgical recovery
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Concluding Remarks Concluding Remarks
Temperature plays a very big role in fatigue at
temperatures where diffusion is significant.
This is probably the most significant cause for failure
in high temperature systems.
Mechanistically, aside from understanding that crack
initiation and propagation lead to failure; it is difficult
Prof. M.L. Weaver
g
to predict creep-fatigue failures as it will vary from
material to material.
References for Module #40 References for Module #40
1. J-S. Zhang, High Temperature Deformation and Fracture of Materials,
Woodhead Publishing (2010), Chapters 23-25.
2. J.K. Tien, S.V. Nair, V.C. Nardone, Creep-Fatigue Interaction in
Structural Alloys, in Superalloys, Supercomposites and
Superceramics, edited by J.K. Tien and T. Caulfield, (Academic Press,
1989) Ch. 10, pp. 301-337.
3. R.V. Miner, Fatigue, in Superalloys II, edited by C.T. Sims, N.S.
Stoloff, W.C. Hagel (Wiley, 1987) Ch. 10, pp. 263-289.
4. Section 12.7 in Courtney.
5. Section 13-15 in Dieter.
Prof. M.L. Weaver