Cyclic deformation, fatigue and fatigue crack propagation in Ni-base alloys

Ni-base superalloys' cumulative glide behavior, damage accumulation, low-cycle fatigue, and crack propagation characteristics are directly dependent on deformation behavior which is in turn a strong function of microstructural characteristics. Microstructural instabilities and environmental interactions become additional factors at elevated temperatures. An account is presently given of microstructural, chemical, and processing techniques that may be used to obtain the properties that appear most critical or desirable in specific applications.