Advances in Creep Life Prediction of Nickel-based Single-Crystal Superalloys

Nickel-based single-crystal superalloys, due to their exceptionally high-temperature properties, find extensive applications in unmanned systems and hot-end components of aeroengines. These components run under demanding conditions, enduring prolonged exposure to high temperatures and low stresses. Consequently, creep damage becomes particularly pronounced, severely limiting their service life. As unmanned systems evolve towards high-speed, long-range, and extended-duration missions, their propulsion systems demand enhanced durability from high-temperature alloys, which has spurred intensive research into predicting the creep life of nickel-based single-crystal superalloys. In this paper, the influences of external service conditions, microstructure, and crystal orientation on creep performance of the supperalloys are systematically analyzed. The creep mechanisms under different temperatures are discussed from perspectives of dislocation motion and elemental diffusion. Furthermore, the empirical models, damage mechanics approaches, mechanism-driven models, and data-driven methods for predicting creep life are reviewed.