Thermal-mechanical fatigue of high temperature structural materials

Experimental and analytical methods were developed to address the effect of thermal-mechanical strain cycling on high temperature structural materials under uniaxial and biaxial stress states. Two materials were used in the investigation, a nickel-base superalloy of low ductility, IN-738LC and a high ductility material, 316 stainless steel. A uniaxial life prediction model for the IN-738LC material was based on tensile hysteresis energy measured in stabilized, mid-life hysteresis loops. Hold-time effects and temperature cycling were incorporated in the hysteresis energy approach. Crack growth analysis was also included in the model to predict the number of TMF cycles to initiate and grow a fatigue crack through the coating.; The nickel-base superalloy, IN-738LC, was primarily tested in out-of-phase (OP) TMF with a temperature range from 482-871{dollar}spcirc{dollar}C (900-1600{dollar}spcirc{dollar}F) under continuous and compressive hold-time cycling. IN-738LC fatigue specimens were coated either with an aluminide, NiCoCrAlHfSi overlay or CoNiCrAlY overlay coating on the outer surface of the specimen. Metallurgical failure analysis via optical and scanning electron microscopy, was used to characterize failure behavior of both substrate and coating materials.; Type 316 SS was subjected to continuous biaxial strain cycling with an in-phase (IP) TMF loading and a temperature range from 399-621{dollar}spcirc{dollar}C (750-1150{dollar}spcirc{dollar}F). As a result, a biaxial TMF life prediction model was proposed on the basis of an extended isothermal fatigue model. The model incorporates a frequency effect and phase factors to assess the different damage mechanisms observed during TMF loading. The model was also applied to biaxial TMF data generated on uncoated IN-738LC.