Investigation of the 0.4C-35Cr-45Ni-Nb Alloy after Service in High-Temperature Steam and Hydrocarbons Environment

The paper presents the results of investigation of the 0.4C-35Cr-45Ni-Nb alloy, which operated in the cracked hydrocarbon feeds and dilution steam at 1125 °C. The material originated from the pyrolytic furnace coil tubes, of which internal walls were in contact with the aforementioned medium, whereas the external walls were in contact with the flue gases. The examination included metallographic and mechanical tests on the material after service exposure, the results of which were compared with the ones obtained for the as-received non-exposed specimens. The metallographic tests revealed changes in the alloy’s structure manifested by formation of significant amount of the carbides due to carburization of the alloy from the steam and cracked hydrocarbon feeds side. The central and external parts of the alloy samples (having no contact with the process medium) underwent substantial degradation but within a relatively narrow zone of the material. The investigations of hydrogen and methane content in the alloy showed a high amount of these gases, resulting from high-temperature corrosion in steam environment. The mechanical tests demonstrated clear shortening of the plastic deformation range of the alloy due to penetration of the gases and formation of the carbides inside the material’s structure. A low level of corrosion and no creep mechanism were detected.

Creep Behavior of Near α High Temperature Ti-6.6Al-4.6Sn-4.6Zr-0.9Nb-1.0Mo-0.32Si Alloy

This study focuses on the microstructure characteristics and tensile and creep properties of a near α high temperature Ti-6.6Al-4.6Sn-4.6Zr-0.9Nb-1.0Mo-0.32Si alloy. Microstructure characteristics were quantitatively investigated using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscope, and transmission electron microscopy. Tensile properties were carried out at room and high temperature. Creep properties were detected under applied stresses ranging from 100–350 MPa at 873–973 K, respectively. Results showed that Widmanstätten microstructure was obtained after hot forged and heat treatment. The strength decreases and the elongation rises with temperature increasing. The ultimate strength and elongation were 1010 MPa, 12% at room temperature, and 620 MPa, 20% at 923 K, respectively. The steady state creep rates rise correspondingly with stress and temperature. Stress exponents are measured within the range of 3.0–3.5. Thus, the creep mechanism is diffusion-controlled viscous glide of dislocation. Ti3Al precipitates are observed. The boundaries and precipitates can obstruct dislocation movement to improve the creep properties. Fracture mechanism of creep is intergranular. The creep mechanism varied from climb of dislocation to sliding of dislocation solution.

Analysis on Degradation in Creep Strength of 9Cr-W Martensitic Steel

In order to clarify the creep mechanism of high Cr martensitic steel, creep curves of 9Cr-1W and 9Cr-4W steels were analyzed applying an exponential law to the temperature, stress, and time parameters. The activation energy, Q, the activation volume, V, and the Larson-Miller constant, C, are obtained as functions of creep strain. At the beginning of creep, sub-grain boundary strengthening by swept dislocations out of sub-grains occurs followed by strengthening due to the rearrangement of M23C6 and the precipitation of Laves phase. After Q reaches a peak, heterogeneous recovery and subsequent heterogeneous deformation begin at an early stage of transient creep in the vicinity of some weakest boundaries due to coarsening of the precipitates, which triggers the unexpected degradation in strength due to the accelerating coarsening of precipitates. Stabilizing not only M23C6 but also Laves phase is important to mitigate the degradation of rupture strength of martensitic steel. The above creep mechanism for martensitic steel can be applicable to the explanation for the degradation in long term rupture strength of high Cr martensitic steel, Grades 91 and 92.

Inferring ice rheology in Antarctic ice shelves from remotely sensed observations

<p>Glaciers and ice sheets flow as a consequence of ice rheology. At the temperatures and pressures found on Earth, several creep mechanisms allow glacier ice to flow as a non-Newtonian (shear-thinning) viscous fluid. The semi-empirical constitutive relation known as Glen’s Flow Law is often used to describe ice flow and to provide a simple expression for an effective viscosity that decreases with increasing stress and deformation rate. Glen’s Flow Law is a power-law relation between effective strain rate and deviatoric stress, with two parameters defining the rheology of ice: a rate factor, A, and stress exponent, n. The rate factor depends on features such as temperature and grain size, while the stress exponent is primarily representative of the creep mechanism. Neither A nor n are well constrained in natural ice, and the stress exponent is typically assumed to be n = 3 everywhere. Here, we take advantage of recent improvements in remotely sensed observations of surface velocity and ice shelf thickness to infer the values of A and n in Antarctic ice shelves. We focus on areas of ice shelves that flow in a purely extensional regime, where extensional stresses are proportional to observed ice thickness, drag at the base of the ice is negligible, and extensional strain-rates are calculated from the gradients of observed surface velocity fields. In this manner, we use independent observational data to derive spatially dependent constraints on the rate factor A and stress exponent n in Glen's Flow Law. The robust spatial variability provides insights into the creep mechanisms of ice, thereby capturing rheological properties from satellite observations. Our analysis indicates that n ≈ 4 in most fast-flowing areas in an extensional regime, contrary to the prototypical value of n = 3. This finding implies higher non-linearity in ice flow than typically prescribed, influencing calculations of mass flux and the response of ice sheets to perturbations. Additionally, This result suggests that dislocation creep is the dominant creep mechanism in extensional regimes of Antarctic ice shelves, indicative of tertiary creep. This analysis unites theoretical work and synoptic-scale observations of ice flow, providing insights into the rheology and stress-states of ice shelves in Antarctica.</p>

Molecular Dynamics Simulation on Creep Mechanism of Nanocrystalline Cu-Ni Alloy

Creep mechanism is an essential mechanism for material when subjected to a high temperature and high pressure. It shows material ability during an extreme application to maintain its structure and properties, especially high pressure and temperature. This test is already done experimentally in many materials such as metallic alloys, various stainless steel, and composites. However, understanding the creep mechanism at the atomic level is challenging due to the instruments limitation. Still, the improvement of mechanical properties is expected can be done in such a group. In this work, the creep mechanism of the nanocrystalline Cu-Ni alloy is demonstrated in terms of molecular dynamics simulation. The result shows a significant impact on both temperature and pressure. The deformation supports the mechanisms as a result of the grain boundary diffusion. Quantitative analysis shows a more substantial difference in creep-rate at a higher temperature and pressure parameters. This study has successfully demonstrated the mechanism of creep at the atomic scale and may be used for improving the mechanical properties of the material.