Stephen Hocker

Simulation of crack propagation in alumina with ab initio based polarizable force field.

We present an effective atomic interaction potential for crystalline α-Al(2)O(3) generated by the program potfit. The Wolf direct, pairwise summation method with spherical truncation is used for electrostatic interactions. The polarizability of oxygen atoms is included by use of the Tangney-Scandolo interatomic force field approach. The potential is optimized to reproduce the forces, energies, and stresses in relaxed and strained configurations as well as {0001}, {1010}, and {1120} surfaces of Al(2)O(3). Details of the force field generation are given, and its validation is demonstrated. We apply the developed potential to investigate crack propagation in α-Al(2)O(3) single crystals.

Atomistic multiscale simulations on the anisotropic tensile behaviour of copper-alloyed alpha-iron at different states of thermal ageing

The mechanical behaviour of steels is strongly related to their underlying atomistic structures which evolve during thermal treatment. Cu-alloyed α-Fe undergoes a change in material behaviour during the ageing process, especially at temperatures of above 300°C, where precipitates form on a large time-scale within the α-Fe matrix, yielding first a precipitation strengthening of the material. As the precipitates grow further in time, the material strength decreases again. This complex process is modelled with a multiscale approach, combining Kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) with Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations in a sequential way and exploiting the advantages of both methods while simultaneously circumventing their particular disadvantages. The formation of precipitates is modelled on a single-crystal lattice with a diffusion based KMC approach. Transferring selected precipitation states at different ageing times to MD simulations allows the performance of nano tensile tests and the analysis of failure initiation. The anisotropic tensile behaviour is investigated in the [100], [110] and [111] directions, showing monotonically decreasing tensile strengths and deformation strains. Hence precipitation strengthening is mainly due to dislocation–precipitate interactions which are non-existent at small tensile loadings in this scenario. At the point of ductile failure, dislocations are generated at the interfaces between precipitates and the Fe matrix. Straining in the [100] direction, they lie on {110} and {112} glide planes, as expected. With the method presented here, the changes of the anisotropic tensile moduli are related to different states of thermal ageing, i.e., to nucleation, growth and Ostwald ripening of Cu precipitates.

Electronic structure and adhesion on metal-aluminum-oxide interfaces

This paper reports on the results of the systematic analysis of the atomic and electronic structure of the Me/α-Al2O3(0001) interfaces for two series of isoelectronic metals (Me = Cu, Ag, Au and Ni, Pd, Pt), depending on the termination of the oxide substrate and the configuration of oxide films. The calculations have been performed by the pseudopotential method in the plane-wave basis set. The adhesion energy of metal films has been calculated depending on the cleavage plane. It has been shown that the adhesion energy is maximum at the oxygen interface, which is caused by the ion component in chemical bonding at this interface. The aluminum and aluminum-enriched interfaces are characterized by the metallic type of bonding. The local densities of states and the charge distribution near the interface have been analyzed. It has been demonstrated that oxygen vacancies at the interface substantially weaken the adhesion due to the partial breaking of Me-O bonds.

Molecular dynamics simulation of aluminium diffusion in decagonal quasicrystals

Al diffusion in decagonal Al–Ni–Co and Al–Cu–Co quasicrystals is investigated by molecular dynamics simulations. Results obtained with newly developed embedded-atom method potentials are compared with our previous work with effective pair potentials. With both types of potential, strong aluminium diffusion is observed above two-thirds of the melting temperature, and the general behaviours of the system are quite similar. The diffusion constant is measured as a function of temperature and pressure, and the activation enthalpies and activation volumes are determined from the resulting Arrhenius plot. For a number of important diffusion processes, the energy barriers are determined with molecular statics simulations. The qualitative behaviour of the dynamics is also confirmed by ab-initio simulations.

Ab-initio study of metal-zirconia interfaces

A comparative theoretical study of metal-zirconia interfaces with BCC and FCC metals was performed using pseudopotential approach with LDA and GGA approximation for exchange-correlation functional. It was shown that the high adhesion can be achieved at the O- terminated Me/ZrO2(001) interface with BCC metals that is related to large charge transfer from metal film to substrate and increase of an ionic contribution in the chemical bonding. The structural and electronic factors which are responsible for decrease of adhesion at differently oriented metal-zirconia interfaces are discussed. The influence of CaO, MgO and Y2O3 doping on the work of separation (Wsep) at Ме(001)/c-ZrO2(001) is analyzed.

Hydrogen sorption in titanium alloys with a symmetric Σ5(310) tilt grain boundary and a (310) surface

The hydrogen sorption in intermetallic B2 TiM (M = Ni, Co, Pd) with a symmetric Σ5(310) tilt grain boundary and a (310) surface is studied by density functional theory methods. The effect of hydrogen on the electronic characteristics of the alloys is analyzed as a function of a sorption position at the interfaces. The hydrogen sorption energy is shown to depend on the local environment of hydrogen; on the whole, hydrogen at the interfaces prefers titanium-rich positions. The hydrogen sorption energy in metal-rich positions decreases when the d shell of the second alloy component is filled with electrons. The grain-boundary energy, the surface energy, and the hydrogen segregation energies to the interfaces are calculated. Hydrogen sorption in titanium alloys is shown to decrease Griffith work and to favor brittle fracture along tilt grain boundaries.

Molecular Dynamics Simulations with Long-Range Interactions

The Wolf summation (Wolf et al., J. Chem. Phys. 110, 8254 (1999)), an order O(N) method for the calculation of long-range interactions, has been adapted successfully to the simulation of metal oxides. We present the combination of the method with the Tangney–Scandolo model for polarizable oxygen and the Streitz–Mintmire model for variable charges at metal oxide–metal interfaces. The methods have been implemented successfully in our molecular dynamics package IMD and applied to the structure of several metal oxides. The new methods allow for the simulation of cracks in oxides and the study of the flexoelectricity effect.

Ab initio investigation of tensile strengths of metal(1 1 1)/α-Al2O3(0 0 0 1) interfaces

Ab initio calculations using plane wave pseudopotential method within density funtional theory are applied to investigate mechanical and electronic properties of Al-terminated Me(1 1 1)/Al2O3(0 0 0 1) (Me = Al, Ag, Cu, Nb) interfaces. Stress–displacement relationships of separation perpendicular to the interface are calculated. It is shown that obtained results such as work of separation and tensile strength can be understood from electronic structure.

Precipitation strengthening in Cu–Ni–Si alloys modeled with ab initio based interatomic potentials

Effective interaction potentials suitable for Cu/δ-Ni2Si and Cu/β-Ni3Si are developed. We optimise the potential parameters of an embedded atom method potential to reproduce forces, energies, and stresses obtained from ab initio calculations. Details of the potential generation are given, and its validation is demonstrated. The potentials are used in molecular dynamics simulations of shear tests to study the interactions of edge dislocations with coherent δ-Ni2Si and β-Ni3Si precipitates embedded in a copper matrix. In spite of significantly different crystallographic structures of copper and δ-Ni2Si which usually result in circumvention of dislocations, we also observed cutting processes in our simulations. Dislocations cut for a specific orientation of the δ-Ni2Si precipitate and in some cases where dislocation loops originating from previous circumvention processes are present in the glide plane. It is found that β-Ni3Si precipitates have a similar effect on precipitation strengthening as δ-Ni2Si. Dislocations usually cut β-Ni3Si but increased coherency strain can lead to circumvention processes.

Investigation of chemical bonding at metal-ceramic interfaces

We present a comparative ab-initio study of atomic and electronic properties of Al/TiC(N) and Al/VC(N) interfaces performed using DFT with the projector-augmented-wave method. The most stable configuration of metal film on the ceramic substrate was determined. The work of separation of metallic films in dependence on cleavage plane was calculated. The analysis of the electronic properties confirms a stronger interaction in the case of the Al top position over metalloid which indicates the dominant role of the covalent contribution in the chemical bonding at these interfaces. We demonstrate that point defects at the interface (metal, carbon and nitrogen vacancies) change the adhesion at the metal-ceramic interfaces significantly and cause redistribution of the electron properties across the interface.