Creep of long-range-ordered Cu50Zn brass - Part I. Conventional analysis of the steady-state creep

Creep of a brass Cu50Zn of stechiometric composition was investigated at te mperatures from 523 Co 773 K by means of tensile creep tests at constant st ress. The temperature interval includes the whole range of the long-range-o rdered single-phase beta'-brass. Conventional analysis of temperature depen dence and applied stress dependences of the steady-state creep rate yielded no information suitable for an explanation of the mechanisms determining c reep behaviour of the alloy in the whole experimental range. Activation par ameters of the steady-state creep, i.e., the apparent activation energy of creep and the stress sensitivity parameter of the creep rate, include - in addition to true parameters also some factors resulting from the structure factors. Both these parameters should be only considered as phenomenologica l parameters characterizing temperature and applied-stress dependence of th e steady-state creep rate.