Strain controlled isothermal low cycle fatigue life, deformation and fracture characteristics of Superni 263 superalloy

Abstract

The total axial strain controlled low-cycle fatigue (LCF) behaviour of a wrought nickel-base superalloy Superni 263 has been evaluated at 298 K, 673 K, and 923 K employing the strain amplitudes in the range ± 0.25% to ± 0.80%. All the tests were performed using a triangular wave form at a constant strain rate of 10−3 s−1. The Superni 263 alloy was subjected to a solutionizing treatment at 1373 K/1.5 h followed by water quenching. An ageing treatment of 1073 K/8 h was given to the solutionized samples. The microstructure of the alloy is composed of γʹ in the intragranular regions and discrete M23C6 precipitates on the grain boundaries. Few undissolved (Ti, Mo)C and TiN precipitates were also noticed in the matrix. The strain amplitude and temperature played a significant role in the evolution of macroscopic cyclic stress response and the development of deformation substructure. The alloy displayed serrated flow in the plastic portions of stress-strain hysteresis loops in the tests conducted at 673 K and 923 K, predominantly at strain amplitudes higher than ±0.40%. Several manifestations depicting the occurrence of dynamic strain ageing (DSA) were derived by analysing both the macroscopic and micro-mechanistic information generated. The comparative evaluation of monotonic and cyclic stress-strain curves was conducted and the factors responsible for rapid cyclic hardening during DSA were identified. The fatigue life decreased drastically with increasing temperature, particularly at low strain amplitudes. The strain-life data could be represented well by using Basquin and Coffin-Manson relationships. The slope in Coffin-Manson relationship revealed more negative values under the influence of DSA. The crack initiation and propagation modes at all the test conditions remained transgranular without the indications of interference from creep and oxidation effects. The deformation substructure at elevated temperatures was characterized by the occurrence of co-planar slip, stacking faults, micro twinning and high dislocation density in between the slip bands.