A Combined Model for Hardening, Softening, and Damage Processes in Advanced Heat Resistant Steels at Elevated Temperature

Phenomenological constitutive equations that describe inelastic behavior of advanced steels at elevated temperature are developed. To characterize hardening, recovery, and softening processes, a composite model with creep-hard and creep-soft constituents is applied. The volume fraction of the creep-hard constituent is assumed to decrease toward a saturation value. This approach reproduces well the primary creep as a result of stress redistribution between constituents and tertiary creep as a result of softening. To describe the whole tertiary creep stage, a damage variable in the sense of continuum damage mechanics is introduced. The material parameters and the response functions in the model are calibrated against experimental creep curves for X20CrMoV12-1 steel. For the verification, simulations of the inelastic response are performed and the results compared with experimental data including creep under stress change conditions and stress-strain response under constant strain rate. Furthermore, the lifetime predictions are analyzed and compared with the published creep rupture strength data. The results show that the consideration of both softening and damage processes is necessary to characterize the long-term strength in a wide stress range. Finally, the model is generalized to the multi-axial stress state.