How evolving multiaxial stress states affect the kinetics of rafting during creep of single crystal Ni-base superalloys

Miniature tensile creep specimens are used to investigate the effect of mild circular notches on microstructural evolution during [001] tensile creep of a Ni-base single crystal superalloy. Creep deformed material states from a uniaxial (950 °C, uniaxial stress: 300 MPa) and a circular notched creep specimen (950 °C, net section stress in notch root: 300 MPa) are compared. For both types of tests, creep experiments were interrupted after 81, 169 and 306 h. Quantitative scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is used to assess the evolution of the γ/γ′-microstructure from rafting to topological inversion. Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) was applied to study the evolution of dislocation densities during creep. As a striking new result it is shown that in circular notched specimen, the microstructural evolution is well coupled to the kinetics of the stress redistribution during creep. Rafting, the directional coarsening of the γ′-phase, and the increase of γ-channel dislocation density, start in the notch root before the center of the specimen is affected. When stresses in the circular notched specimens are fully redistributed, the microstructural differences between the notch root and the center of the circular notched specimen disappear. The comparison of the mechanical data and the microstructural findings in uniaxial and circular notched specimens contribute to a better understanding of the role of mild notches, of stress multiaxiality and of strain accumulation in the microstructure evolution of single crystal Ni-base superalloys during creep. The results obtained in the present work are discussed in the light of previous work published in the literature.