Institute of Metals Division - The Effect of High-Temperature Strain on Crack Formation and Ductility in Commercially Pure Nickel

The effect of a brior high-temperature creep strain on the low-temperature ductility of commercially pure nickel has been evaluated. The low-temperature (-196°C) ductility decreases linearly with an increase in prior high-temperature (920°C) creep strain. The effect is experimentally correlated to the formation of inter crystalline cracks and voids during the prior high-temperature creep strain. The magnitude of the effect is also believed to be a function of the notch sensitivity of the material. SEVERAL mechanisms have been presented to explain the process of inter crystalline cracking in metals undergoing high-temperature creep. zenerl has suggested that grain boundary relaxation of shear stresses could build up high stresses at ob- stacles to grain boundary shear and thereby nucleate a crack. Chang and rant' have experimentally demonstrated that cracks do form at obstacles to grain boundary shear such as lines where three grains meet. The role of vacancies in the mechanism of high-temperature inter crystalline cracking has been explored by Machlt with the conclusion that the nu-cleation of voids by vacancy condensation is almost