Search Results (6)

The creep behaviour of as-built additive-manufactured Ti-6Al-4V alloy was studied through small punch creep test (SPCT) experiments at 450 and 500 °C. The couple stress/minimum strain rate deduced from these tests made it possible to draw a Norton plot showing good agreement with tensile test creep results. The microstructure characterisation within the SPCT specimen evidenced the effect of local strain on microstructure evolution. After interrupted creep at 450 °C, in most deformed areas, the as-built martensite structure was fully decomposed to the α + β equilibrium phases, giving rise to a submicron equiaxed grain structure. Full article

The Small Punch Creep-Recovery Test (SPCRT) is a novel miniature test used to estimate the viscoelastic properties of polymers and biomaterials. The current investigation related to the SPCRT is limited to Finite Element Method (FEM) simulations and experimental tests on PVC. The aim of this investigation was focused on: (i) extending the experimental tests to other polymers with dissimilar viscoelastic properties; (ii) deepening the influence of non-linear viscoelastic properties in the estimation capabilities of the SPCRT; and (iii) developing a numerical methodology to estimate and take into account the viscoelastic recovery produced during the unloading step of compressive creep-recovery tests (CCRT) and SPCRTs. The experimental tests (CCRTs and SPCRTs) were done on polyethylene PE 500, polyoxymethylene POM C, nylon PA 6, and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), with a range of creep loads, in the case of CCRTs, in the whole elastic regime and the surroundings of the yield strength of each material. The experimental results confirmed that the SPCRT was an accurate and reliable testing method for linear viscoelastic polymers. For a non-linear viscoelastic behavior, SPCRT estimated the viscoelastic properties obtained from CCRTs for creep loads near the yield strength of the polymer, which corresponded with large-amplitude viscoelastic properties in dynamic creep testing. In order to consider the viscoelastic recovery generated in the unloading step of CCRTs and SPCRTs, a Maxwell-Wiechert model with two branches was used, simulating the different steps of the experimental tests, and solving numerically the differential equation of the Maxwell-Wiechert model with the Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg (RKF) numerical method. The coefficients of the elements of the Maxwell-Wiechert model were estimated approaching the straining curve of the recovery step of the simulation with the same curve registered on each experimental test. Experimental CCRTs with different unloading times demonstrated that the use of this procedure derived in no influence of the unloading step time in the viscoelastic properties estimation. Full article

The present study provides a feasible method to evaluate creep properties for a 9%Cr-Mo-Co-B power plant steel by comparing two sets of data obtained from small punch tests and conventional uniaxial creep tests. The method includes three steps: firstly, conduct a series of small punch tests and conventional creep tests in different load and temperature conditions; secondly, convert the load and central deflection data obtained from the small punch test to stress and strain data; thirdly, determinate the best fit correlation factor by comparing the two sets of data in selected creep models. It is found that two sets of data show a similar trend in stress–rupture time relation, stress–minimum strain rate relation and LMP–stress relation. The correlation factor, k_sp, can effectively bridge the gap between the load in small punch test and the stress in conventional creep test. For a high-Cr martensitic heat-resistant steel named as CB2, the k_sp value 1.4 can make a good prediction for rupture time, while for minimum creep rate and the Larson–Miller parameter, the k_sp value 1.4 will lead a conservative prediction in the low-stress range. Full article

This paper presents a finite element analysis of the small punch creep test for 316L(N), which is compared with experimental data for 650 and 700 °C. Special emphasis is placed on (i) assessing the influence of friction and (ii) comparing two different creep models: the simple Norton creep and the more general creep model. The computed normalized deflection rate versus time is almost identical for all cases, which allows for scaling of the results. The computed time to rupture increases linearly with the friction coefficient due to a reduction in the mean stress. There is a good overall agreement between the experimental values and the computed deflection rate for a friction coefficient of around 0.3. It is shown that the initial reduction in deflection rate is due to stress relaxation and homogenization, and is only marginally affected by primary creep hardening. The computed results are compared with the equivalent stress and strain rates in the recently published small punch standard (EN 10371). The computed von Mises stresses at minimum deflection decrease linearly with the friction coefficient but are consistently slightly higher than the equivalent stress in the standard. For the strain rates, the computed values are significantly higher than the equivalent values in the standard. The presented simulations give a deeper insight of the small punch creep and impact of key parameters such the friction coefficient and in general as a guidance to refinement and improvement of the empirically based formulae in the standard. Full article

Additive Layer Manufacturing (ALM) is an innovative net shape manufacturing technology that offers the ability to produce highly intricate components not possible through traditional wrought and cast procedures. Consequently, the aerospace industry is becoming ever more attentive in exploiting such technology for the fabrication of nickel-based superalloys in an attempt to drive further advancements within the holistic gas turbine. Given this, the requirement for the mechanical characterisation of such material is rising in parallel, with limitations in the availability of material processed restricting conventional mechanical testing; particularly with the abundance of process parameters to evaluate. As such, the Small Punch Creep (SPC) test method has been deemed an effective tool to rank the elevated temperature performance of alloys processed through ALM, credited to the small volumes of material utilised in each test and the ability to sample material from discrete locations. In this research, the SPC test will be used to assess the influence of a number of key process variables on the mechanical performance of Laser Powder Bed Fused (LPBF) Ni-based superalloy CM247LC. This will also include an investigation into the influence of build orientation and post-build treatment on creep performance, whilst considering the structural integrity of the different experimental builds. Full article

A small punch test is one of the innovative methods that can be used to evaluate the properties of a material without destructive harm to the in-service component. Conventionally identifying material properties by a uniaxial test is widely applied to engineering. How the properties obtained from a small punch test can be applied with the same utility has been a goal. In 2006, European Code of Practice (CoP) of small punch tests was first released, in which the correlation factor, k_sp, was introduced to bridge the gap between the above methods. The author investigates the relationship between a uniaxial creep text and a small punch creep test by exploring the correlation factor k_sp. Various sets of experiments and a comparative study of the conventional uniaxial creep test and small punch creep test were carried out. Methods including Norton, Larson-Miller and Time versus Stress relation were employed to identify the value of k_sp. Different k_sp values were found in different materials, which indicate that k_sp values of materials need to be identified separately. In addition, the life prediction of a small punch creep test was carried out and the results of the life prediction predict a reasonable accuracy, which indicates that the small punch creep test is a reliable method for life prediction. Full article