A new approach to evaluate material creep properties by C-shape ring specimen with fixed constraints

Small specimen test technique is widely used to evaluate material creep properties for those components operated at the elevated temperatures. However, the existing small specimen test techniques cannot be well applied for small miniature tubular components well, such as steam pipe and gas turbine recuperator in aviation, due to the equivalent gauge length, specimen volume, stress analysis method and conversion relationship. In this paper, combing the advantages of three-point bending specimen with fixed constraints and small ring creep specimen, a new C-shape ring specimen with fixed constraints (CRSFC) was proposed. Based on beam bending model, the conversion relationship between CRSFC and uniaxial creep test data was established by using complementary strain energy and reference stress method. Using finite element method, conversion coefficients and stress evolution process were obtained. Then the feasibility and accuracy of the above conversion relationship were verified by carrying out four sets of CRSFC creep tests of 1.25Cr0.5MoSi at 550 °C. It can be seen that creep parameters obtained by CRSFC agree well with those from uniaxial creep test with the maximum error of 22.6%. Finally, the effects of the straight edge length, indenter radius, eccentric load and indenter-specimen surface friction coefficient on the load-point steady-state displacement rate were investigated by finite element method. The results show that the effect of the straight edge length is negligible. In order to minimize the effects of other parameters, the indenter radius 0.6 mm ≤ r ≤ 1.2 mm, eccentric displacements e ≤ 0.2 mm and friction coefficient f ≤ 0.8 are recommended in CRSFC creep test.