Perovskite based materials have become the focus of multiple investigations on their performance when applied in different technologies. These materials can exhibit a particular set of phenomena based on their crystalline structure, such as superelasticity, ferroelectricity and ferroelasticity. Ferroelasticity is observed as a non-linear stress behavior that occurs because of the re-orientation of low symmetry crystal domains under a critical (coercive) stress. Ferroelastic creep can also be observed in these materials when the domain walls move under a constant load by the re-orientation of the crystalline domains. This creep phenomenon can occur under low temperatures, until the material reaches an equilibrium strain when all the domains are reoriented in the direction of the applied load. LaCoO3 exhibits ferroelastic behavior and ferroelastic creep at low temperatures. Negative creep is observed in this material at room temperature under constant loads, shown as a creep strain that occurs in the opposite direction of the applied load on the material.
The time-dependent deformation of LaCoO3 are studied under constant uniaxial compressive stress at different temperatures, ranging from room temperature to 800 °C.  The sol-gel method is used for the manufacture of LaCoO3 powders which uniaxially pressed and sintered at 1400 °C/10h. A digital image correlation method (DIC) is used to measure the strain on the material during compression tests. The stress-strain curves as well as creep deformation are measured under an maximum applied load of 50 MPa. Also, recovery strains are measured upon the loading discharge of the material.
 The stress-strain deformation curves show non-linear ferroelastic behavior of LaCoO3 during compression. The coercitive stress and apparent loading moduli decrease with increasing temperatures below 600 °C. Meanwhile, a relative stiffening of the material is exhibited at temperatures close to 800 °C.  An increase in creep strain is shown when the temperature level increases. Negative creep is exhibited at temperatures below 600 °C and positive creep is shown at higher temperatures. There is no systematic correlation between the recovery strains on the material at low temperatures. Concurrently, a high rate of elastic recovery is observed at temperatures close to 800 °C. The measured strains demonstrate that temperature is an affecting factor on creep deformation and ferroelastic behavior of LaCoO3.