Creep is due to an effect similar to high temperature resistance, but under such stress conditions as to cause plastic deformations in the long term only. Pure creep is a mechanism generating shifts at the crystal level. In practice, creep conditions are frequently accompanied by oxidation and growth mechanisms.

For temperatures under 720°C, creep level depends mostly on the temperature and the amount of stress, according to the following exponential relation:

Ae^-q/KT x e^US/KT
Where A, q and U are material constants, T is temperature, and S is stress.