Thermal mechanical fatigue of single crystal superalloys: Achievements and challenges

The progress on thermal mechanical fatigue (TMF) of Ni-based single crystal superalloys is summarized from an industrial perspective. The TMF behaviors of bare alloys at relatively high stress regime are well studied. However, the understanding of coated alloys is fairly limited, particularly at low stress region pertinent to application conditions. The potential influence of microstructure, chemistry, oxidation and bond coat on TMF life is discussed. Research directions for future studies are proposed.