Creep

What Does Creep Mean?

Creep refers to a material science concept that describes the likelihood of a material to deform under an applied force of mechanical stress.

Creep may also be known as material creep or cold flow.

Corrosionpedia Explains Creep

Creep occurs due to prolonged exposure to applicable forces below the yield strength of the receiving metal. It can be observed to have greater impact when a metal is exposed to increased levels of heat.

Creep is a type of deformation that is important and experienced in a wide range of industries ranging from nuclear power plants, jet engines and even heat exchangers.

There are three main stages of creep:

• Primary creep - Starts at an increased rate and slows with time due to material hardening.
• Secondary creep - Has a relatively steady rate.
• Tertiary creep - Has an accelerated rate and ends when the material breaks.