Abstract: Creep rupture is one of the major failure modes for high temperature components, which often occurs without obvious sign and thus often brings disastrous consequences. Clarifying micro-physical mechanisms of creep failure and building appropriate creep life models are the key elements to perform the high temperature structural integrity assessment, creep life design, operation and maintenance. Starting with the physical mechanism of creep failure at micro scale, the aim is to seek for a foothold in the lifetime prediction method. Meanwhile, the mechanisms of creep cavity nucleation and growth, the mechanical models describing creep damage behaviours, the basic theory and the key technology needed for creep lifetime prediction of components and their weldments are reviewed as well. Finally, the method of lifetime prediction based on digital twins is forecasted.

Key words: creep failure, physical mechanism, creep cavity, damage model, lifetime prediction, digital twin