Slip analysis in a Ni-base superalloy

A Ni-base superalloy single crystal with Gamma/Gamma' structure was tested at room temperature along the , and directions. Consistent with previously reported investigations, this alloy did not obey the Schmid law and the CRSS (critical resolved shear stress) was noticeably lower for the -oriented samples. Furthermore, the strain hardening rate decreased and the degree of deformation localization increased in the order of , and orientations. The appearance and orientation of deformation traces were found to depend on the loading orientation as well as the amount of strain. In general, when Gamma'-particles were sheared, the traces followed the expected octahedral shear planes. It is demonstrated that the wavy deformation traces that do not follow the {111} planes are associated with changes in the gamma-channels width and the falling off of the gamma-particles. In this paper the evolution of deformation bands are discussed in terms of plastic localization at microscopic, mesoscopic and macroscopic levels.