Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 February 2011
This study examines the time-dependent deformation of Ni3(Al, Ta) at room temperature. Tension creep experiments have been performed on single crystals with one {111}<101> slip system active at the start of the test, where the applied stress ranged from 66.4 MPa (the measured 0.01% flow stress) to 143 MPa (which produced approximately 9% plastic strain). All creep curves displayed primary creep leading to eventual exhaustion, where the measured creep strain declined at a rate faster than predicted for logarithmic creep. However, no correlation between the applied stress and the form of the declining creep rate can be made at this rime. Many creep curves can be obtained from one sample, as the creep curves from both virgin samples and samples with prior deformation history (at the same test stress) were indistinguishable. At the beginning of an incremental creep test, where the stress is increased by a small amount to reinitiate plastic flow in an exhausted sample, a significant retardation of the plastic response of the sample occurred when the stress increment was below 4 MPa. Preliminary TEM studies of a sample strained to 6% suggest that room temperature creep tests may not be ideal for examining the flow of Anti-Phase-Boundary (APB) dissociated dislocations.