Effect of multiaxial stresses on the high-temperature behavior and rupture of advanced alloys

The evolution and effect of multiaxial stress states on the high temperature deformation and rupture behavior of materials with non-uniform microstructures has been investigated. Through a detailed description of the role that multiaxial stresses play on damage evolution and rupture, the abundant existing data for uniaxial rupture can be used to more successfully design for the life of high temperature components.; Three dimensional finite element calculations of primary creep deformation were performed for particulate reinforced metal matrix composites under a variety of multiaxial loading conditions. A quasi-steady state stress distribution develops during primary creep for each of the conditions considered. The results indicate that higher stresses exist in regions above and below the particles and accommodate the development of creep damage. The nature of the stress state within these regions is not significantly altered by the presence of the particles. The strain fields show a distribution similar to the stress fields. Despite significantly large regions of enhanced stress, the overall creep strain rates for all models are decreased by the presence of the particles. The applied effective stress does not have a unique relationship with overall effective strain rate for particulate reinforced composites under different applied stress states.; The failure of sections of turbine rotor disks formed from the superalloy V-57 which operate under highly multiaxial stresses has been investigated. Optical microscopy of a turbine rotor disk removed from service after 30,000 hrs showed an intergranular crack that initiated at the root of a fir-tree turbine rotor blade attachment. Transmission electron microscopy studies showed heavy grain boundary oxidation that could account for the cracking and failure of the rotor disks.; Heat treatments of a TiAl alloy have been established for producing a microstructure suitable for high temperature multiaxial rupture testing. The morphology of tested material has a fully lamellar microstructure with interlocking colony boundaries. Despite the interlocked boundaries, rupture time data correlates well with the principal facet stress, which indicates that a localized deformation mechanism controls the rupture process. Possible deformation mechanisms include lath boundary sliding and fast creep within the softer {dollar}alphasb2{dollar} laths.