Xiaozhou Liao

Deformation twinning in nanocrystalline copper at room temperature and low strain rate

The grain-size effect on deformation twinning in nanocrystalline copper is studied. It has been reported that deformation twinning in coarse-grained copper occurs only under high strain rate and/or low-temperature conditions. Furthermore, reducing grain sizes has been shown to suppress deformation twinning. Here, we show that twinning becomes a major deformation mechanism in nanocrystalline copper during high-pressure torsion under a very slow strain rate and at room temperature. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy investigation of the twinning morphology suggests that many twins and stacking faults in nanocrystalline copper were formed through partial dislocation emissions from grain boundaries. This mechanism differs from the pole mechanism operating in coarse-grained copper.

Deformation mechanism in nanocrystalline Al: Partial dislocation slip

We report experimental observation of a deformation mechanism in nanocrystalline face-centered-cubic Al, partial dislocation emission from grain boundaries, which consequently resulted in deformation stacking faults (SFs) and twinning. These results are surprising because (1) partial dislocation emission from grain boundaries has not been experimentally observed although it has been predicted by simulations and (2) deformation stacking faults and twinning have not been reported in Al due to its high SF energy.

Nanostructural hierarchy increases the strength of aluminium alloys

Increasing the strength of metallic alloys while maintaining formability is an interesting challenge for enabling new generations of lightweight structures and technologies. In this paper, we engineer aluminium alloys to contain a hierarchy of nanostructures and possess mechanical properties that expand known performance boundaries-an aerospace-grade 7075 alloy exhibits a yield strength and uniform elongation approaching 1 GPa and 5%, respectively. The nanostructural architecture was observed using novel high-resolution microscopy techniques and comprises a solid solution, free of precipitation, featuring (i) a high density of dislocations, (ii) subnanometre intragranular solute clusters, (iii) two geometries of nanometre-scale intergranular solute structures and (iv) grain sizes tens of nanometres in diameter. Our results demonstrate that this novel architecture offers a design pathway towards a new generation of super-strong materials with new regimes of property-performance space.

Deformation twins in nanocrystalline Al

Due to its high stacking fault energy, no deformation twin has ever been observed in coarse-grained Al. Recent molecular dynamic (MD) simulations predicted the formation of deformation twins in nanocrystalline (nc) Al. Here, we report transmission-electron-microscopic observations of two types of twins in nc Al processed by cryogenic ball milling. They were formed via mechanisms suggested by the MD simulations. We also observed curved twin boundaries caused by partial dislocations. These results indicate that deformation mechanisms not accessible to coarse-grained Al are active in nc Al. They could be responsible for some unique mechanical properties of nc materials.

Tailoring stacking fault energy for high ductility and high strength in ultrafine grained Cu and its alloy

Bulk ultrafine grained (UFG) materials produced by severe plastic deformation often have low ductility. Here the authors report that simultaneous increases in ductility and strength can be achieved by tailoring the stacking fault energy (SFE) via alloying. Specifically, UFG bronze (Cu 10wt.% Zn) with a SFE of 35mJ∕m2 was found to have much higher strength and ductility than UFG copper with a SFE of 78mJ∕m2. Accumulations of both twins and dislocations during tensile testing play a significant role in enhancing the ductility of the UFG bronze. This work demonstrates a strategy for designing UFG alloys with superior mechanical properties.

Microstructure of cryogenic treated M2 tool steel

Cryogenic treatment has been claimed to improve wear resistance of certain steels and has been implemented in cutting tools, autos, barrels etc. Although it has been confirmed that cryogenic treatment can improve the service life of tools, the underling mechanism remains unclear. In this paper, we studied the microstructure changes of M2 tool steel before and after cryogenic treatment. We found that cryogenic treatment can facilitate the formation of carbon clustering and increase the carbide density in the subsequent heat treatment, thus improving the wear resistance of steels.

Microstructural evolution during recovery and recrystallization of a nanocrystalline Al-Mg alloy prepared by cryogenic ball milling

Abstract The microstructural evolution during thermal annealing of a cryogenically ball milled Al-7.6 at% Mg alloy with a grain size of ~25 nm was examined using differential scanning calorimetry, x-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. Recovery occurs during annealing from 100 to 230 °C resulting in strain relaxation and grain coarsening, and recrystallization proceeds at higher temperatures up to about 370 °C with further grain growth. The stored enthalpy release during recovery was estimated to be ~450 J/mol, which is considerably higher than that in materials processed by other known cold-working methods. Only a fraction of the measured enthalpy was found to arise from the enthalpy releases due to grain coarsening and the reduction of high dislocation density. Both recovery and recrystallization give rise to non-uniform, bimodal grain-size distributions, which may result from heterogeneous nanostructures in the as-milled state. The detailed microscopic observations strongly support that grain coalescence is a feasible mechanism for grain coarsening during the recovery. In addition, the activation energy for recovery was calculated to be ~120 kJ/mol, indicating the process is diffusion-controlled (Mg in Al), whereas the activation energy for recrystallization was considerably higher, ~190 kJ/mol.

High-pressure torsion-induced grain growth in electrodeposited nanocrystalline Ni

Deformation-induced grain growth has been reported in nanocrystalline (nc) materials under indentation and severe cyclic loading, but not under any other deformation mode. This raises an issue on critical conditions for grain growth in nc materials. This study investigates deformation-induced grain growth in electrodeposited nc Ni during high-pressure torsion (HPT). Our results indicate that high stress and severe plastic deformation are required for inducing grain growth, and the upper limit of grain size is determined by the deformation mode and parameters. Also, texture evolution suggests that grain-boundary-mediated mechanisms played a significant role in accommodating HPT strain.

Nucleation and growth of deformation twins in nanocrystalline aluminum

Deformation twins (DTs) in nanocrystalline (nc) Al were both predicted by atomic simulations, and observed experimentally. However, despite encouraging preliminary results, their formation mechanism remains poorly understood. Here we present an analytical model, based on classical dislocation theory, to explain the nucleation and growth of DTs in nc Al. A 60° dislocation system consisting of a 90° leading partial and a 30° trailing partial is found to most readily nucleate and grow a DT. The model suggests that the stress for twin growth is much smaller than that for its nucleation. It also predicts an optimal grain size for twin nucleation. The model successfully explains DTs observed experimentally in nc Al and is also applicable to other nc metals.

Grain-size effect on the deformation mechanisms of nanostructured copper processed by high-pressure torsion

The unique nonuniform deformation characteristic of high-pressure torsion was used to produce nanostructures with systematically varying grain sizes in a copper disk, which allows us to study the grain-size effect on the deformation mechanisms in nanostructured copper using a single sample. The as-processed copper disk has 100–200 nm grains near its center and 10–20 nm grains at its periphery. High densities of full dislocations (2×1016/m2) were distributed nonuniformly in large grains, implying that dislocation slip is the dominant deformation mechanism. With increasing dislocation density, the dislocations accumulated and rearranged, forming elongated nanodomains. The originally formed nanodomains remain almost the same crystalline orientation as their parent large grains. Further deformation occurred mainly through partial dislocation emissions from nanodomain boundaries, resulting in high density of nanotwins and stacking faults in the nanodomains. The elongated nanodomains finally transformed into eq...