Theoretical-experimental model for predicting crack growth rate in structural alloys under combined action of fatigue and creep.

Holding periods of 300 and 3600 s in a trapezoidal load cycle are shown to increase the crack growth rate dozens of times for alloy ÉP962 and several-fold for alloy ÉP742 at a temperature of 973 K. It is demonstrated that in the presence of the first portion on the creep crack growth diagram, whereon the crack growth rate decreases, the crack growth kinetics for a trapezoidal load cycle can be predicted using the hypothesis of the linear summation of fatigue and creep crack growth rates provided that the peculiarities of the first portion of the creep crack growth diagram are taken into account. Empirical approaches are proposed for determining the mean crack velocity in the first portion of the creep crack growth diagram. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]