Capabilities and limitations of short term creep testing with a quenching and deformation dilatometer

Description

Short-term creep testing utilizing a quenching and deformation dilatometer offers an efficient alternative for rapid evaluation of the creep resistance of engineering materials. Unlike conventional long-duration creep furnace testing, this method subjects specimens to tensile loading at controlled temperatures and stresses directly within the dilatometer. The investigation is carried out up to the time of the minimum creep rate, recognizing the inherent limitations of the dilatometer for long-term creep studies.
Compared to standardized uniaxial steady-state creep testing, additional factors are present that may restrict quantitative classification of creep properties. Nevertheless, this approach enables a rapid and straightforward qualitative comparison of the creep resistance across varying alloy compositions or heat treatment conditions.
In this study, initial tests were conducted on the established 9% Cr steel P91 (X10CrMoVNb9-1), which provides an extensive basis for experimental validation. The advantages and challenges associated with the experimental setup are critically evaluated, including the significant temperature gradients identified within the sample as a result of inductive heating. These gradients are attributed to the interplay between specimen geometry and heating methodology. Moreover, systematic errors in strain measurement were observed due to the susceptibility of the LVDT measurement aperture to radiant heat.
The findings highlight both the capabilities and the limitations of short-term creep testing with a quenching and deformation dilatometer. The implications for the qualitative assessment of creep resistance and the influence of extraneous factors on measurement accuracy are discussed, providing guidance for the broader application and further refinement of this methodology.

Period	19 May 2026
Event title	ECCC 2026: 7th International ECCC Creep & Fracture Conference
Event type	Conference
Location	Aix-en-Provence, FranceShow on map