Institute of Metals Division - Some Observations on correlations Between the Creep Behavior and the Resulting Structures in Alpha Solid Solutions

For elevated temperature-constant load creep tests of a solid solution alloys, the creep strain is a function of a temperature-compensated time parameter 0 = je H/RT dt. The activation energy H is equal to o constant of about 36,000 cal per mol. The substructures resulting from a given creep stress condition are functions of the creep strain independent of temperature. Each new creep stress gives a new unique set of grain substructures; this is one of the factors responsible for the failure of the mechanical equation of state for creep. IN this report an attempt is made to correlate the creep properties of dilute a: solid solutions in aluminum with the subgrain structures that are developed during creep. The possibilities of such correlations have already been suggested by Wood et al. and others1-" who demonstrated that the subgrain structures are functions of the creep stress, creep strain, rate of creep, and temperature. Investigations by Sherby and Dorn' have shown that the creep strain, E, at constant load for dilute a solid solutions of aluminum is given by the functional relationship: e = f(8,u,) [1] where: 0 equals te-AH/RT = temperature-compensated time; t, time; AH, activation energy, - 35,800 cal per mol; R, gas constant; T, absolute temperature, above 400°K; and u,, initial creep stress. Consequently, it was anticipated that the subgrain structure that develops during a constant load creep test should also correlate with any two of the three significant variables C, 8, and Another possible correlation between the subgrain structure and the creep variables is obtained by differentiating Eq. 1 with respect to time, whence the creep rate, 2, becomes: = (2L) (2) =f (, u,) e-AHRT [2] or: e = F (c e H/RT, 0) [3] For the minimum creep rate, ;,, 8 is solely a function of U, as revealed by Eq. 1. Consequently, at the minimum creep rate Eq. 3 reduces to: = F (eAH/RT) [41 Correlations between U, and i, eAH/RT were found valid for solid solution alloys of aluminum where AH was a constant of about 35,800 cal per mol. The parameter ;, eH/RT is identical to the Zener-Hollo-mon parameter8," used by them in evaluating the tensile properties of copper and other metals. Eq. 4 suggests that the subgrain structure developed during secondary creep might be correlatable with either of the two variables 2, e H/RT or u,. Some of the solid solution aluminum alloys which were discussed in an earlier report' were also used in the present investigation. Sheets of these alloys were homogenized, cold rolled from 0.100 to 0.070 in. in thickness and then recrystallized to about the same grain size. Their chemical composition and grain size are recorded in Table I. Creep specimens were selected with their tensile axes in the rolling direction. The details for creep testing have been described10 and will not be repeated here. All creep tests were performed under constant load conditions. Experimental Results and Discussion Metallographic Structure of Creep Specimens: In order to obtain a preliminary concept of creep on the metallographic structure of high purity aluminum, the various ruptured specimens previously used to obtain the creep data for pure aluminum were polished and etched electrolytically in a dilute solution of fluoroboric acid. Oblique illumination was used to reveal the substructures which, for convenience, are shown in correlation with the vs. ;, eH/RT curve in Fig. 1. It is necessary to emphasize that the data for the curve refer to the various secondary stages of creep whereas the micrographs refer to the fractured creep specimens. Nevertheless a regular and systematic correlation is observed between E, eAH/RT (or the creep stress) and the micro-structure at fracture. For In (e, eAH/RT) = 42.3, which refers to creep at a high creep rate and a low creep temperature, the fractured aluminum specimen, as shown by the micrograph in the upper right-hand corner of Fig. 1, exhibited extensive deforma-