Thermo-mechanical fatigue crack growth of a polycrystalline superalloy

A study was done to determine the temperature and load interaction effects on the fatigue crack growth rate of polycrystalline superalloy IN100. Temperature interaction testing was performed by cycling between 316°C and 649°C in blocks of 1, 10 and 100 cycles. Load interaction testing in the form of single overloads was performed at 316°C and 649°C. After compiling a database of constant temperature, constant amplitude FCGR data for IN100, fatigue crack growth predictions assuming no load or temperature interactions were made. Experimental fatigue crack propagation data was then compared and contrasted with these predictions. Through the aid of scanning electron microscopy the fracture mechanisms observed during interaction testing were compared with the mechanisms present during constant temperature, constant amplitude testing. One block alternating temperature interaction testing grew significantly faster than the non-interaction prediction, while ten block alternating temperature interaction testing also grew faster but not to the same extent. One hundred block alternating testing grew slower than non-interaction predictions. It was found that as the number of alternating temperature cycles increased, changes in the gamma prime morphology (and hence deformation mode) caused changes in the environmental interactions thus demonstrating the sensitivity of the environmental interaction on the details of the deformation mode. SEM fractography was used to show that at low alternating cycles, 316°C crack growth was accelerated due to crack tip embrittlement caused by 649°C cycling. At higher alternating cycles the 316°C cycling quickly grew through the embrittled crack tip but then grew slower than expected due to the possible formation of Kear-Wilsdorf locks at 649°C. Overload interaction testing led to full crack retardation at 2.0x overloads for both 316°C and 649°C testing. 1.6x overloading at both temperatures led to retarded crack growth whereas 1.3x overloads at 649°C created accelerated crack growth and at 316°C the crack growth was retarded.M.S.Committee Chair: W. Steven Johnson; Committee Member: Richard W. Neu; Committee Member: Stephen D. Antolovic