Advances in the Wilshire extrapolation technique—Full creep curve representation for the aerospace alloy Titanium 834

Structural alloys applied to aerospace and power generation applications are expected to operate at temperatures exceeding those originally envisaged during their design to meet the tightening regulations on emissions and also to improve the efficiency of operation. Extended periods of high stress over time will induce creep deformation and, eventually, static failures in such alloys. For this reason, prior to using these alloys in such applications, their deformation behaviour has to be studied through mechanical testing. However, testing might vary from few hours up to several months which, in return, will have a considerable influence on the cost of these components. As an alternative, a new extrapolation technique, ‘The Wilshire Equations’, has been developed at Swansea University in order to predict the creep rupture behaviour. In addition, this technique has been extended to re-construct full creep curves based on short-term measurements. This new capability will, thus, reduce the cost and the time required to carry out such long-term tests. As a model material, Titanium 834, which is currently used in aeroengine applications, has been employed for the analysis using the Wilshire approach.