Indentation creep surface morphology of nickel-based single crystal superalloys

The crystallographic orientation dependence of surface morphology of indentation creep on a nickel-based single crystal superalloy is investigated by using crystal plasticity slip theory with a three-dimensional (3D) finite element model. The numerical results show that the pile-up patterns developed around the indentation imprint exhibit four-, two-, and threefold symmetry on the surfaces of [0 0 1]-, [0 1 1]-, and [1 1 1]-oriented single crystals, respectively. The evolution of radial and hoop stresses around the crater provides important information for possible radial crack nucleation, whose critical locations depend on crystallographic orientations. These characteristics can be well explained in the viewpoint of crystallographic anisotropy. The findings may shed some light on understanding of the crystal structures and its time-dependent deformation mechanisms with the indentation method.