Unified Tertiary and Secondary Creep Modeling of Additively Manufactured Nickel-Based Superalloys

Abstract

Additively manufactured (AM) metals have been increasingly fabricated for structural applications. However, a major hurdle preventing their extensive application is lack of understanding of their mechanical properties. To address this issue, the objective of this research is to develop a computational model to simulate the creep behavior of nickel alloy 718 manufactured using the laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) additive manufacturing process. A finite element (FE) model with a subroutine is created for simulating the creep mechanism for 3D printed nickel alloy 718 components. A continuum damage mechanics (CDM) approach is employed by implementing a user defined subroutine formulated to accurately capture the creep mechanisms. Using a calibration code, the material constants are determined. The secondary creep and damage constants are derived using the parameter fitting on the experimental data found in literature. The developed FE model is capable to predict the creep deformation, damage evolution, and creep-rupture life. Creep damage and rupture is simulated as defined by the CDM theory. The predicted results from the CDM model compare well with experimental data, which are collected from literature for L-PBF manufactured nickel alloy 718 of creep deformation and creep rupture, at different levels of temperature and stress. Using the multi-regime Liu-Murakami (L-M) and Kachanov-Rabotnov (K-R) isotropic creep damage formulation, creep deformation and rupture tests of both the secondary and tertiary creep behaviors are modeled. A single element FE model is used to validate the model constants. The model shows good agreement with the traditionally wrought manufactured 316 stainless steel and nickel alloy 718 experimental data collected from the literature. Moreover, a full-scale axisymmetric FE model is used to simulate the creep test and the capacity of the model to predict necking, creep damage, and creep-rupture life for L-PBF manufactured nickel alloy 718. The model predictions are then compared to the experimental creep data, with satisfactory agreement. In summary, the model developed in this work can reliably predict the creep behavior for 3D printed metals under uniaxial tensile and high temperature conditions.