New technique for characterization of microstructural degradation under creep: Application to the nickel-base superalloy CMSX-4

A new experimental technique (repeated load annealing of flat wedge shaped specimens) was proposed for characterization of microstructural degradation under creep conditions. This technique was applied to investigate the microstructural degradation of the nickel-base superalloy CMSX-4 in a wide range of temperatures and stress levels. The results obtained allowed to describe analytically the kinetics of rafting, which is important to predict the reduction of fatigue lifetime and yield stress.