A Physically Based Constitutive Equation for Creep-Damaging Solids

Abstract

Uniaxial and multiaxial forms of a constitutive equation, characterizing the creep-damaging behavior of metals at elevated temperatures, are developed based on Dyson’s constrained cavity growth mechanism. The model employs a single scalar internal variable which can be identified with the area fraction of cavitated boundaries. This variable, together with the power law creep model is capable of describing steady creep, tertiary creep, and dilatation arising from the nucleation and growth of grain boundary cavities.