A molecular dynamics study on mechanical performance and deformation mechanisms in nanotwinned NiCo-based alloys with nano-precipitates under high temperatures

Molecular dynamics simulations are performed to investigate the mechanical behavior of nanotwinned NiCo-based alloys containing coherent L12 nano-precipitates at different temperatures,as well as the interactions between the dislocations and nano-precipitates within the nanotwins.The simulation results demonstrate that both the yield stress and flow stress in the nanotwinned NiCo-based alloys with nano-precipitates decrease as the temperature rises,because the higher temperatures lead to the generation of more defects during yielding and lower dislocation density during plastic deformation.Moreover,the coherent L12 phase exhibits excellent thermal stability,which enables the hinderance of dislocation motion at elevated temperatures via the wrapping and cutting mechanisms of dislocations.The synergistic effect of nanotwins and nano-precipitates results in more significant strengthening behavior in the nanotwinned NiCo-based alloys under high temperatures.In addition,the high-temperature mechanical behavior of nanotwinned NiCo-based alloys with nano-precipitates is sensitive to the size and volume fraction of the microstructures.These findings could be helpful for the design of nanotwins and nano-precipitates to improve the high-temperature mechanical properties of NiCo-based alloys.

Microstructural evolution and deformation mechanisms of superplastic aluminium alloys:A review

Aluminium alloy is one of the earliest and most widely used superplastic materials.The objective of this work is to review the scientific advances in superplastic Al alloys.Particularly,the emphasis is placed on the microstructural evolution and deformation mechanisms of Al alloys during superplastic deformation.The evolution of grain structure,texture,secondary phase,and cavities during superplastic flow in typical superplastic Al alloys is discussed in detail.The quantitative evaluation of different deformation mechanisms based on the focus ion beam(FIB)-assisted surface study provides new insights into the superplasticity of Al alloys.The main features,such as grain boundary sliding,intragranular dislocation slip,and diffusion creep can be observed intuitively and analyzed quantitatively.This study provides some reference for the research of superplastic deformation mechanism and the development of superplastic Al alloys.

Deformation mechanism and roof pre-splitting control technology of gob-side entry in thick hard main roof full-mechanized longwall caving panel

This paper explores the deformation mechanism and control technology of roof pre-splitting for gob-side entries in hard roof full-mechanized longwall caving panel(LTCC).The investigation utilizes a comprehensive approach that integrates field monitoring,theoretical analysis,and numerical simulation.Theoretical analysis has illuminated the influence of the length of the lateral cantilever beam of the main roof(LCBM)above the roadway on the stability of the gob-side entry behind the panel.Numerical simulations have further revealed that the longer LCBM results in heightened vertical stress within the coal pillar,developed cracks around the roadway,and more pronounced damage to the roadway.Moreover,numerical simulations also demonstrate the potential of roof pre-splitting technology in optimizing the fracture position of the hard roof.This technology significantly reduces the length of the LCBM,thereby alleviating stress concentration in the coal pillars and integrated coal rib while minimizing the destruction of the gob-side entry.Therefore,this manuscript first proposes the use of roof pre-splitting technology to control roadway deformation,and automatically retain the entry within a hard roof LTCC panel.Field implementation has demonstrated that the proposed automatically retained entry by roof pre-splitting technology effectively reduces gob-side entry deformation and achieves automatically retained entry.

Influence of bimodal non-basal texture on microstructure characteristics,texture evolution and deformation mechanisms of AZ31 magnesium alloy sheet rolled at liquid-nitrogen temperature

Cryogenic rolling experiments have been conducted on the AZ31 magnesium(Mg)alloy sheet with bimodal non-basal texture,which is fabricated via the newly developed equal channel angular rolling and continuous bending process with subsequent annealing(ECAR-CB-A)process.Results demonstrate that this sheet shows no edge cracks until the accumulated thickness reduction reaches about 18.5%,which is about 105.6%larger than that of the sheet with traditional basal texture.Characterization experiments including optical microstructure(OM),X-ray diffractometer(XRD),and electron backscatter diffraction(EBSD)measurements are then performed to explore the microstructure characteristics,texture evolution and deformation mechanisms during cryogenic rolling.Experimental observations confirm the occurrence of abundant{10–12}extension twins(ETs),twin-twin interactions among{10–12}ET variants and{10–12}-{10–12}double twins(DTs).The twinning behaviors as for{10–12}ETs are responsible for the concentration of c-axes of grains towards normal direction(ND)and the formation of transverse direction(TD)-component texture at the beginning of cryogenic rolling.The twinning behaviors with respect to{10–12}-{10–12}DTs are responsible for the disappearance of TD-component texture at the later stage of cryogenic rolling.The involved deformation mechanisms can be summarized as follows:Firstly{10–12}ETs dominate the plastic deformation.Subsequently,dislocation slip,especially basal<a>slip,starts to sustain more plastic strain,while{10–12}ETs occur more frequently and enlarge continuously,resulting in the formation of twin-twin interaction among{10–12}ET variants.With the increasing rolling passes,{10–12}-{10–12}DTs incorporate in the plastic deformation and dislocation slip serves as the major one to sustain plastic strain.The activities of basal<a>slip,{10–12}ETs and{10–12}-{10–12}DTs benefit in accommodating the plastic strain in sheet thickness,which contributes to the improved rolling formability in AZ31 Mg alloy sheet with bimodal non-basal texture during cryogenic rolling.

Tension-compression asymmetry and corresponding deformation mechanism in ZA21 magnesium bars with bimodal structure

We investigated the asymmetric tension-compression(T-C)behavior of ZA21 bars with bimodal and uniform structures through axial tension and compression tests.The results show that the yield strengths of bars having bimodal structure are 206.42 and 140.28 MPa under tension and compression,respectively,which are higher than those of bars having uniform structure with tensile and compressive yield strength of 183.71 and 102.86 MPa,respectively.Prismatic slip and extension twinning under tension and basal slip and extension twinning under compression dominate the yield behavior and induce the T-C asymmetry.However,due to the basal slip activated in fine grains under tension and the inhibition of extension twinning by fine grains under compression,the bimodal structure possesses a lower T-C asymmetry(0.68)compared to the uniform structure(0.56).Multiple extension twins occur during deformation,and the selection of twin variants depends on the Schmid factor of the six variants activated by parent grains.Furthermore,the strengthening effect of the bimodal structure depends on the grain size and the ratio of coarse and fine grains.

Layer thickness dependent plastic deformation mechanism in Ti/TiCu dual-phase nano-laminates

Crystalline/amorphous nanolaminate is an effective strategy to improve the mechanical properties of metallic materials,but the underlying deformation mechanism is still under the way of exploring.Here,the mechanical properties and plastic deformation mechanism of Ti/TiCu dual-phase nanolaminates(DPNLs)with different layer thicknesses are investigated using molecular dynamics simulations.The results indicate that the influence of the layer thickness on the plastic deformation mechanism in crystalline layer is negligible,while it affects the plastic deformation mechanism of amorphous layers distinctly.The crystallization of amorphous TiCu is exhibited in amorphous parts of the Ti/TiCu DPNLs,which is inversely proportional to the layer thickness.It is observed that the crystallization of the amorphous TiCu is a process driven by stress and heat.Young's moduli for the Ti/TiCu DPNLs are higher than those of composite material due to the amorphous/crystalline interfaces.Furthermore,the main plastic deformation mechanism in crystalline part:grain reorientation,transformation from hexagonal-close-packed-Ti to face-centered cubic-Ti and body-centered cubic-Ti,has also been displayed in the present work.The results may provide a guideline for design of high-performance Ti and its alloy.

Microstructures and deformation mechanisms of experimentally deformed gabbro

The natural gabbro samples were deformed at temperature ranging from 700 to 1150 ℃ with strain rate steps of 1 ×10^-4, 2.5 ×10^-5, 6.3 ×10^-6 s^-1. The mechanical data show that sample experiences gradual transition from semi-brittle flow to plastic flow, corresponding to a systematically decreasing stress exponent n with the increasing temperature ranging from 16.5 to 4.1 （He et al. Sci China （D） 46（7）：730-742, 2003）. We investigate microstructures and deformation mechanisms of experimentally deformed gabbro under transmission electron microscope in this study. For low temperature of 700 ℃ to 950℃, the deformation is mainly accommodated with dislocation glide and mechanical twinning, corresponding to stress exponent lager than 5, which means semi-brittle deformation. Whereas with higher temperature up to 1000 ℃-1150 ℃, the deformation is accommodated mainly with dislocation glide and climb corresponding to stress exponent of 4.1, which means plastic deformation. Evidence of dislocation climb has been found as dislocation walls in plagioclase. The observed slip system in plagioclase is （001）1/21110] and that in clinopyroxene are （100）[001] and （010）[001]. The （010）[001] slip system in clinopyroxene is newly found in this work. Melt was found at temperature of 950 ℃-1050 ℃. The melt glass distributed both in melt thin film between two grain boundaries and melt tubules of triangular along three grain boundaries at temperature of 950℃-1000℃. The melt triangular interconnected to the melt film at temperature of 1050 ℃-1150℃, where the melt chemical compositiondifferentiated into iron-rich dark dots and silicate-rich matrix.

Unloading damage patterns of rock slopes in open pit mines and analyses of their mechanisms

The stability of slopes is essential for ensuring safe production in open-pit mines.Analyzing and managing the deformation and failure of the slope rock mass becomes more challenging as the slope height increases.To investigate the damage patterns of slopes with varying heights,three slope models were developed based on a rock slope in Dagushan,China.The deformation failure processes of slopes under the influence of excavation and unloading were analyzed using the base friction test method in combination with digital image technology contrasting.The results supported the following findings:(1)Unloading tensile stress caused lateral partitioning in the slope.Both the foot and top of the slope underwent initial tensile cracks.(2)The destabilization mechanism of unloading deformation in slopes of different heights involved a combination of traction at the foot of the slope or pushing at the top of the slope,followed by accelerated deformation,deceleration creep,and overall destabilization.(3)The unloading damage patterns of slopes at different heights were summarized as follows:compression tension cracking,traction,and slip damage for medium and low slopes;compression tension cracking,traction,and slip failure for the upper part of high slopes;and relaxation tension cracking,pushing,traction,and slip failure for the lower part.Moreover,the upper part of ultra-high slopes exhibited compression tension cracking,traction,and slip failure,while the middle and lower parts displayed relaxation tension cracking,pushing,traction,and slip patterns.Finally,numerical simulations were conducted to verify the results of the test analyses,which demonstrated good consistency.These research results were of great engineering value for proposing effective safety management measures for high slopes.

Deformation Mechanism of Bimodal Structured 2205 Duplex Stainless Steel in Two Yield Stages

A kind of micro/nanostructured 2205 duplex stainless steel(DSS)with uniform distribution of nanocrystals was prepared via aluminothermic reaction method.The analysis of stress-strain curve showed that the fracture strength and elongation of the specimen were 946 MPa and 24.7%,respectively.At present,the research on microstructure of bimodal 2205 DSS at room temperature(RT)mainly depended on scanning electron microscope(SEM)observation after loading experiments.The test result indicates that there are two different yield stages in stress-strain curve of specimen during tensile process.The microstructure of duplex bimodal structured stainless steel consists of two pairs of soft hard regions and phases.By studying deformation mechanism of bimodal structured stainless steel,the interaction between soft phase and hard phase are discussed.The principle of composition design and microstructure control of typical duplex stainless steel is obtained,which provides an important research basis for designing of advanced duplex stainless steel.

Deformation mechanism,orientation evolution and mechanical properties of annealed cross-rolled Mg-Zn-Zr-Y-Gd sheet during tension

Mg-6.75Zn-0.57Zr-0.4Y-0.18Gd(wt.%)sheet with typical basal texture was produced by cross rolling and annealing.Room temperature tensile tests were subsequently conducted along rolling direction(RD),transverse direction(TD),and diagonal direction(RD45).Deformation mechanism and orientation evolution during the tension were investigated by quasi-in-situ electron backscatter diffraction observation and in-grain misorientation axis analysis.The results indicate that the activation of deformation mechanism mainly depends on the initial grain orientation.For RD sample,prismatic<a>slip plays an important role in the deformation of grains with<0001>axis nearly perpendicular to the RD.With the<0001>axis gradually tilted towards the RD,basal<a>slip becomes the dominant deformation mode.After the tensile fracture,the initial concentrically distributed{0001}pole is split into double peaks extending perpendicular to the RD,and the randomly distributed{1010}pole becomes parallel to the RD.The evolution in{0001}and{1010}poles during tension is related to the lattice rotation induced by basal<a>slip and prismatic<a>slip,respectively.TD and RD45 samples exhibit similar deformation mechanism and orientation evolution as the RD sample,which results in the nearly isotropic mechanical properties in the annealed cross-rolled sheet.

Deformation mechanism and softening effect of extruded AZ31 magnesium alloy sheet at moderate temperatures

The flow stress behavior of extruded AZ31 magnesium alloy sheet was investigated by means of compression tests at temperatures between 473 and 523 K and strain rates ranging from 0.001 to 1.0 s-1. The deformation activation energy of the sheet in extrusion direction （ED） was calculated, and the relationship between the softening effect and deformation mechanism was elucidated by optical microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The results show that when the extruded AZ31 magnesium alloy samples were compressed at moderate temperatures in ED direction, the deformation activation energy is 174.18 kJ/mol, which means that dynamic recrystallization （DRX） is the main softening effect and is controlled by cross slip of thermal active dislocation. Dislocation slip is the main deformation mechanism in moderate-temperature deformation process except twinning. The main DRX effect at moderate temperatures can be considered to be continuous dynamic recrystallization accommodated with twinning DRX.

Origin of nucleation and growth of extension twins in grains unsuitably oriented for twinning during deformation of Mg-1%Al

A large number of anomalous extension twins,with low or even negative twinning Schmid factors,were found to nucleate and grow in a strongly textured Mg-1Al alloy during tensile deformation along the extruded direction.The deformation mechanisms responsible for this behaviour were investigated through in-situ electron back-scattered diffraction,grain reference orientation deviation,and slip trace-modified lattice rotation.It was found that anomalous extension twins nucleated mainly at the onset of plastic deformation at or near grain boundary triple junctions.They were associated with the severe strain incompatibility between neighbour grains as a result from the differentbasal slip-induced lattice rotations.Moreover,the anomalous twins were able to grow with the applied strain due to the continuous activation ofbasal slip in different neighbour grains,which enhanced the strain incompatibility.These results reveal the complexity of the deformation mechanisms in Mg alloys at the local level when deformed along hard orientations.

Study on the low mechanical anisotropy of extruded Mg-Zn-Mn-Ce-Ca alloy tube in the compression process

In this study,the extruded Mg-Zn-Mn-Ce-Ca alloy tube with a low compression anisotropy along the ED,45ED and TD was prepared.The effect of the second phases,initial texture and deformation behavior on this low mechanical anisotropy was investigated.The results revealed that the alloy tube contains the high content(Mg1-xZnx)11Ce phase and the low content of Mg12Ce phase.These second phases are respectively incoherent and coherent with the Mg matrix,and their influence can be ignored.Additionally,the alloy tube exhibited a weak basal fiber texture,where the c-axis was aligned along the 0°∼30°tilt from TD to ED.Such a texture made the initial deformation(at 1.0%∼1.6%strain)of the three samples controlled by comparable basalslip.As deformation progressed(1.6∼9.0%strain),larger amounts of ETWs nucleated and gradually approached saturation in the three samples,re-orienting the c-axis to a 0°∼±30°deviation with respect to the loading directions.Meanwhile,the prismatic and pyramidal<c+a>slips replaced the dominant deformation progressively until fracture.Eventually,the similar deformation mechanisms determined by the weak initial texture in the three samples contribute to the comparable strain hardening rates,resulting in the low compressive anisotropy of the alloy tube.

Deformation mechanisms of Mg-3Al-1Zn alloy by polycrystal plasticity modeling

A polycrystal plasticity model was developed to analyze the room-temperature deformation behaviors of Mg-3A1-1Zn alloy（AZ31）.The uniaxial tension and compression tests at room temperature were conducted using cast and extruded AZ31 rods with different textures and combined with the proposed model to reveal the deformation mechanisms.It is shown that,different flow curves of two specimens under tension and compression tests can be simulated by this model.The flow curves of AZ31 extrusions exhibit different shapes for tension and compression due to different activities of tensile twinning and pyramidalc＋a slip.The metallographic and TEM observations showed the equal twinning activities at the initial stage in tension and compression tests and the occurrence of pyramidalc＋a slip in compression of as-cast Mg-3A1-1Zn alloy with increasing the strain,which is consistent with the simulated results by the proposed model.

Tensile deformation of fine-grained Mg at 4K,78K and 298K

The impact of grain size, ranging from 0.9 μm to 9 μm, on the mechanical properties of commercially pure Mg is investigated at temperatures of 4K, 78K, and 298K. The mechanisms governing plastic flow are influenced by both grain size and temperature. At 4K and 78K, dominant deformation modes in Mg involve dislocation glide and extension twinning, regardless of grain size. The interactions between basal and non-basal dislocations and dislocations with grain boundaries promote an unusually high rate of work hardening in the plastic regime, leading to premature failure. The yield stress follows the Hall-Petch relationship σy~ k/√d, with the slope k increasing with decreasing temperature. At 298K, in addition to dislocation glide and twinning, grain boundary sliding(GBS) becomes significant in samples with grain sizes below 3 μm, considerably enhancing the material's deformability. GBS activation provides an additional recovery mechanism for dislocations accumulating at grain boundaries, facilitating their absorption during sliding and rotation. Analysis of σ Θ relationship suggests that the basal slip is the dominant dislocation mode in Mg at 298K. Decreasing grain size suppresses dislocation activity and twinning and increases GBS, resulting in lower Θ and σ Θ values. Suppressing conventional deformation modes coupled with enhanced GBS yields stress softening, breaking down the Hall-Petch relationship in Mg below 3 μm grain size, leading to an inverse Hall-Petch behaviour. The work reports new data on the strength, ductility, work hardening and fracture behaviour, and their variations with Mg grain size across different temperature regimes.

Mechanical Behavior and Microstructure Evolution during Tensile Deformation of Twinning Induced Plasticity Steel Processed by Warm Forgings

The mechanical behavior and microstructural evolution of an Fe-30Mn-3Al-3Si twinninginduced plasticity(TWIP)steel processed using warm forging was investigated.It is found that steel processed via warm forging improves comprehensive mechanical properties compared to the TWIP steel processed via cold rolling,with a high tensile strength(R_(m))of 793 MPa,a yield strength(R_(P))of 682 MPa,an extremely large R_(P)/R_(m)ratio as high as 0.86 as well as an excellent elongation rate of 46.8%.The microstructure observation demonstrates that steel processed by warm forging consists of large and elongated grains together with fine,equiaxed grains.Complicated micro-defect configurations were also observed within the steel,including dense dislocation networks and a few coarse deformation twins.As the plastic deformation proceeds,the densities of dislocations and deformation twins significantly increase.Moreover,a great number of slip lines could be observed in the elongated grains.These findings reveal that a much more dramatic interaction between microstructural defect and dislocations glide takes place in the forging sample,wherein the fine and equiaxed grains propagated dislocations more rapidly,together with initial defect configurations,are responsible for enhanced strength properties.Meanwhile,larger,elongated grains with more prevalently activated deformation twins result in high plasticity.

Revealing precipitation behavior and mechanical response of wire-arc directed energy deposited Mg-Gd-Y-Zr alloy by tailoring aging procedures

Mg-Gd-Y-Zr alloy,as a typical magnesium rare-earth(Mg-RE)alloy,is gaining popularity in the advanced equipment manufacturing fields owing to its noticeable age-hardening properties and high specific strength.However,it is extremely challenging to prepare wrought components with large dimensions and complex shapes because of the poor room-temperature processability of Mg-Gd-Y-Zr alloy.Herein,we report a wire-arc directed energy deposited(DED)Mg-10.45Gd-2.27Y-0.52Zr(wt.%,GW102K)alloy with high RE content presenting a prominent combination of strength and ductility,realized by tailored nanoprecipitates through an optimized heat treatment procedure.Specifically,the solution-treated sample exhibits excellent ductility with an elongation(EL)of(14.6±0.1)%,while the aging-treated sample at 200°C for 58 h achieves an ultra-high ultimate tensile strength(UTS)of(371±1.5)MPa.Besides,the aging-treated sample at 250°C for 16 h attains a good strength-ductility synergy with a UTS of(316±2.1)MPa and a EL of(8.5±0.1)%.Particularly,the evolution mechanisms of precipitation response induced by various aging parameters and deformation behavior caused by nanoprecipitates type were also systematically revealed.The excellent ductility resulted from coordinating localized strains facilitated by active slip activity.And the ultra-high strength should be ascribed to the dense nano-β'hampering dislocation motion.Additionally,the shearable nano-β1 contributed to the good strength-ductility synergy.This work thus offers insightful understanding into the nanoprecipitates manipulation and performance tailoring for the wire-arc DED preparation of large-sized Mg-Gd-Y-Zr components with complex geometries.

Anelasticity to plasticity transition in a model two-dimensional amorphous solid

Anelasticity, as an intrinsic property of amorphous solids, plays a significant role in understanding their relaxation and deformation mechanism. However, due to the lack of long-range order in amorphous solids, the structural origin of anelasticity and its distinction from plasticity remain elusive. In this work, using frozen matrix method, we study the transition from anelasticity to plasticity in a two-dimensional model glass. Three distinct mechanical behaviors, namely,elasticity, anelasticity, and plasticity, are identified with control parameters in the amorphous solid. Through the study of finite size effects on these mechanical behaviors, it is revealed that anelasticity can be distinguished from plasticity.Anelasticity serves as an intrinsic bridge connecting the elasticity and plasticity of amorphous solids. Additionally, it is observed that anelastic events are localized, while plastic events are subextensive. The transition from anelasticity to plasticity is found to resemble the entanglement of long-range interactions between element excitations. This study sheds light on the fundamental nature of anelasticity as a key property of element excitations in amorphous solids.

Characterization of local chemical ordering and deformation behavior in high entropy alloys by transmission electron microscopy

Short-range ordering(SRO)is one of the most important structural features of high entropy alloys(HEAs).However,the chemical and structural analyses of SROs are very difficult due to their small size,complexed compositions,and varied locations.Transmission electron microscopy(TEM)as well as its aberration correction techniques are powerful for characterizing SROs in these compositionally complex alloys.In this short communication,we summarized recent progresses regarding characterization of SROs using TEM in the field of HEAs.By using advanced TEM techniques,not only the existence of SROs was confirmed,but also the effect of SROs on the deformation mechanism was clarified.Moreover,the perspective related to application of TEM techniques in HEAs are also discussed.

Rheo-NMR: A versatile hyphenated technique for capturing molecular dynamics and structure under flow

The general development of Rheo-NMR during the last four decades as well as selective hyphenated apparatuses is presented.Based on different magnet types,the current review is divided into two categories,namely low-field and high-field NMR,while the timedomain NMR is normally applied in the former case and the frequency-domain NMR is adopted in the latter one.Depending on different rheometer cells,it can be further divided into tensile and shear mode Rheo-NMR.The combination of various rheometer cells and NMR facility guarantees our acquisition of molecular level structure and dynamics information under flow conditions,which is crucial for our understanding of the molecular origin of complex fluids.A personal perspective is also presented at last to highlight possible development in this direction.