Effect of pre-deformation on precipitation behavior of AZ80 alloy:Comparison of slip-and twinning-dominant deformation

This study investigates the effect of the deformation mode on the precipitation behavior of an extruded Mg-8.0Al-0.5Zn-0.2Mn(AZ80)alloy.The alloy samples are compared after the application of 3.5%tension and 3.5%compression along the extrusion direction to induce slip-dominant and twinning-dominant deformation modes,respectively.The pre-compressed(PC)sample,which contained numerous{10-12}tension twins,has a reduced grain size and a higher internal strain than the pre-tensioned(PT)sample,which is attributed to the inherent internal strain that occurs during the formation and growth of the twins.As a result,the precipitation behavior of the PC sample is accelerated,leading to its short peak aging time of 32 h,which is lower than those of the PT and as-extruded samples(48 and 100 h,respectively).Furthermore,fine continuous precipitates(CPs)rapidly form within the{10-12}twins,contributing to the enhanced hardness.Discontinuous precipitates(DPs),which have a hardness comparable to the CP-containing twinned regions,in the PC sample experience less coarsening during aging than those in the PT sample due to growth inhibition by the{10-12}twins.Ultimately,the{10-12}twins generated under the twinning-dominant deformation condition lead to enhanced precipitation behaviors,including the preferential formation and refinement of CPs and the suppressed coarsening of DPs.Consequently,pre-deformation that occurs{10-12}twinning exhibits more pronounced effects on precipitation acceleration and microstructural modification than slip-inducing pre-deformation.

{101^(-)2}twinning nucleation in magnesium assisted by alternative sweeping of partial dislocations via an intermediate precursor

Molecular dynamic simulation and transmission electron microscopy(TEM)characterization was employed to investigate the{1012}twinning mechanism in magnesium.A partial dislocation assisted twinning nucleation mechanism was proposed based on simulation results,in which the twin lattice was reconstructed from parental matrix by two-step sweeping of partial dislocations on different close packed planes from matrix and the subsequently formed twin precursor respectively.A{101^(-)2}twin precursor was observed adjacent to matrix/twin interface by a spherical aberration corrected TEM,which indicated the hexagonal-close-packed(hep)matrix-quasi face-centered cubic(fee)twinning precursorsh.c.p twin transformation sequence during{101^(-)2}twinning process.

INFLUENCE OF TWINNING AND DISLOCATION GLIDE DURING CREEP OF EQUIAXED AND LAMELLAR TiAl ALLOYS

The creep deformation of two near γ titanium aluminide alloys with equiaxed and lamellar structures have been studied to understand their behaviour as a function of microstructural evolution during the early stages of creep. The lamellar alloys exhibit more pronounced hardening during the primary stage of creep leading to a much better creep resistance and a minimum creep rate two orders of magnitude lower than that of the equiaxed alloys. TEM observations have confirmed that the active deformation mechanisms are the same for both alloys and microstructural states, namely extensive slip of single 1/2〈110〉 dislocations and mechanical twinning. The latter has been comfirmed to occur in a fraction of the grains that never exceeds 50% while 1/2〈110〉 dislocations are active within all the γ grains. The twins are only responsible for a small amount of strain but they lead to a subdivision of the microstructure and determine (directly or indirectly) the hardening process observed during the primary stage of creep. During the secondary stage the creep rate is determined by the unblocking of pinned dislocations by processes such as a pipe diffusion or cross slip that allow thermally activated glide of 1/2〈110〉 dislocations within the γ matrix.

Dislocation configuration evolution during extension twinning and its influence on precipitation behavior in AZ80 wrought magnesium alloy

Thermomechanical treatment T10(extension twinning+aging treatment)can largely enhance the precipitation strengthening effect of magnesium alloys.In this study,dislocation structure evolution and precipitation behavior during T10 treatment of an AZ80 extruded bar were analyzed mainly by two-beam diffraction in TEM.At a compressive strain of 1%in the extrusion direction(ED),a typical dislocation configuration,including basal I1 stacking faults(SFs)and<c+a>dislocations,has been established in extension twins.As the strain reaches 7%,the volume fraction of extension twins increases to more than 90%at which point high dense I1 SFs and<c+a>dislocations occur.After aging for 2 h at 150℃for the 7%strained sample,masses of basal I1 SFs and<c+a>dislocations remain in the extension twins and can act as effective nucleation sites and solute fast-diffusion channels for continuous precipitates.Consequently,the precipitates in extension twins become highly dense.

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.

Atomistic simulations of interactions between screw dislocation and twin boundaries in zirconium

Molecular statics was employed to simulate interaction between screw dislocation and twin boundaries（TB） in hexagonal close-packed zirconium. In the moving TB model, the interaction of a moving {10ˉ12} TB with a static 1/311ˉ20{10ˉ10} screw dislocation was investigated. Twinning dislocation（TD） nucleation and movement play an important role in the interaction. The screw dislocation passes through the moving TB and changes to a basal one with a wide core. In the moving dislocation model, a moving 1/31120{1010} dislocation passes through the TB, converting into a basal one containing two partial dislocations and an extremely short stacking fault. If the TB changes to the {1011} one, the moving1/31120{1010} prismatic screw dislocation can be absorbed by the static TB and dissociated into two TDs on the TB. Along with the stress-strain relationship, results reveal the complicated mechanisms of interactions between the dislocation and TBs.

Construction of an Arrhenius constitutive model for Mg-Y-Nd-Zr-Gd rare earth magnesium alloy based on the Zener-Hollomon parameter and objective evaluation of its accuracy in the twinning-rich intervals

According to a high-temperature compression test of rare earth magnesium alloy(WE43),a strain-compensated constitutive model of the Arrhenius equation based on Zener-Hollomon parameters was established,and the rheological behaviors were predicted.The model exhibited relatively serious prediction distortion in the low-temperature and high-strain rate parameter interval,and its accuracy was still unsatisfactory even after modification by a correction operator considering the coupling of temperature and strain rate.The microstructure characterization and statistical analysis showed that a large number of twinning occurred in the parameter intervals with prediction deviation.The occurrence of twinning complicated the local internal stress distribution by drastically changing the crystal orientation and led to significant fluctuations in the macroscopic strain-stress and hardening curves relative to the rheological processes dominated by the dislocation and softening mechanisms,making the logarithm of the strain rate and stress deviate from the linear relationship.This twinning phenomenon was greatly influenced by the temperature and strain rate.Herein,the influence mechanism on twinning behavior was analyzed from the perspective of the interaction of dislocation and twinning.

Quasi in-situ EBSD analysis of twinning-detwinning and slip behaviors in textured AZ31 magnesium alloy subjected to compressive-tensile loading

Twinning and detwinning behavior,together with slip behavior,are studied in a textured AZ31 magnesium alloy under compressive and tensile strains along the rolling direction(RD)after each interrupted mechanical test via quasi in-situ electron backscattered diffraction technique.The results show that twinning firstly takes place under the compressive strain along the RD.With the increasing compressive strain,{1012}tensile twins firstly nucleate,then propagate,and finally thicken.While under a reversed tensile strain along the RD,detwinning occurs.No nucleation happens during detwinning.Thus,tensile twins can detwin at lower tensile strain,followed by thinning,shortening,and vanishing.Slips are also activated to accommodate the plastic deformation.In the matrix,prismatic slip can only dominate at relatively high strains.Otherwise,basal slip dominates.While in the twins,prismatic slip can activate at lower strains,which is ascribed to the texture reorientation.

Underlying slip/twinning activities of Mg-xGd alloys investigated by modified lattice rotation analysis

The inconsistencies regarding the fundamental correlation between Gd content and slip(twinning)activities of Mg alloys appeal further investigations.However,the traditional slip dislocations analysis by TEM is time-consuming,and that by SEM/EBSD cannot recognize the partial slip modes.These urge a more efficient and comprehensive approach to easily distinguish all potential slip modes occurred concurrently in alloy matrix.Here we report a modified lattice rotation analysis that can distinguish all slip systems and provide statistical results for slip activities in Mg alloy matrix.Using this method,the high ductility of Mg-Gd alloy ascribed to the enhanced non-basal slips,cross-slip,and postponed twinning activities by Gd addition is quantitatively clarified.

Yield surfaces of fcc crystals with crystallographic slip and mechanical twinning

The mixed yield surfaces of fcc single crystals for slip on{111}〈110〉and mechanical twinning on{111}〈112〉systems have been derived when their critical resolved shear stresses are equal.It has been found that there are 259 stress states that can be classified into 21 groups according to the crystal symmetry.Each group activates 5,6 or 8 slip or/and twinning systems depending on crystallographically non equivalent slip or/and twinning systems groups.Among all those stress states,3 groups activate 8 systems,including 21 stress states;9 groups activate 5 systems,including 70 ones;the remaining 9 groups activate 5 systems,including 168 ones.

Slip Rate and Strong Earthquake Dislocation along the Moxi-Mianning Segment of the Xianshuihe-Anninghe Fault Zone

The results from interpretation of the aerophotos and in-situ seismogeological researches show that there are some obvious late-Quaternary activities along the Moxi-Mianning segment of the Xianshuihe-Anninghe fault zone, with the characteristics of sinistral-slip movement accompanied by some significant vertical slip components. Since late-Quaternary, the average horizontal slip rate of the segment at the south of Moxi along the Xianshuihe fault is 6.0～9.9mm/a and 4.7～5.3mm/a along the segment at the north of Mianning of the Anninghe fault. The results from the investigation of coseismic dislocation and ground rupture show that the ground rupture caused by 1876 Kangding-Luding earthquake with M 7 3/ 4 can extend to the south of Tianwan. The segment at the north of Mianning of the Anninghe fault has a background for producing M7.5 earthquake and the geological record of the last strong earthquake must be the proofs of the 1327 earthquake with M>6.0 with poor historical records.

Saturation Dislocation Microstructures of Double-slip-oriented Copper Single Crystal during the Corrosion Fatigue in a 0.5 mol/L NaCl Aqueous Solution

Copper single crystal specimens with the longitudinal axis parallel to the [013] double-slip-orientation were grown through Bridgman technique. The fatigue tests were performed using a symmetric tension-compression load mode at room temperature in an open-air and a 0.5 mol/L NaCl solution, respectively. The dislocation microstructures were observed with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) by the electron channeling contrast (ECC) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results show that the saturation dislocation microstructures during the corrosion fatigue in the aqueous solution of 0.5 mol/L NaCI, mainly consisted of labyrinth, wall and vein dislocation structures, which differs from the dislocation structures of the walls and veins in an open-air environment.

Microstructure and Strain Fatigue Dislocation Structure of 7075-RRA Aluminum Alloy

The microstructure and the strain fatigue dislocation substructure of 7075-RRA (Retrogression and Reaging) aluminum alloy have been studied by using transmission electron microscopy. From these, a competitive mechanism of cyclic microscopic softening/hardening is put forward to explain the relation between macroscopic cyclic stability behavior and microscopic substructure.

In-situ observation of twinning and detwinning in AZ31 alloy

Twinning and detwinning behavior of a commercial AZ31 magnesium alloy during cyclic compression–tension deformation with a total strain amplitude of 4%(±2%) was evaluated using the complementary techniques of in-situ neutron diffraction, identical area electron backscatter diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. In-situ neutron diffraction demonstrates that the compressive deformation was dominated by twin nucleation, twin growth, and basal slip, while detwinning dominated the unloading of compressive stresses and subsequent tension stage. With increasing number of cycles from one to eight: the volume fraction of twins at-2% strain gradually increased from 26.3% to 43.5%;the residual twins were present after 2% tension stage and their volume fraction increased from zero to 3.7% as well as a significant increase in their number;and the twinning spread from coarse grains to fine grains involving more grains for twinning. The increase in volume fraction and number of residual twins led to a transition from twin nucleation to twin growth, resulting in a decrease in yield strength of compression deformation with increasing cycles. A large number of-component dislocations observed in twins and the detwinned regions were attributed to the dislocation transmutation during the twinning and detwinning. The accumulation of barriers including twin boundaries and various types of dislocations enhanced the interactions of migrating twin boundary with these barriers during twinning and detwinning, which is considered to be the origin for increasing the work hardening rate in cyclic deformation of the AZ31 alloy.

Hydrogen effect on the mechanical behaviour and microstructural features of a Fe-Mn-C twinning induced plasticity steel

The influences of hydrogen on the mechanical properties and the fracture behaviour of Fe-22Mn-0.6C twinning induced plasticity steel have been investigated by slow strain rate tests and fractographic analysis.The steel showed high susceptibility to hydrogen embrittlement,which led to 62.9%and 74.2%reduction in engineering strain with 3.1 and 14.4 ppm diffusive hydrogen,respectively.The fracture surfaces revealed a transition from ductile to brittle dominated fracture modes with the rising hydrogen contents.The underlying deformation and fracture mechanisms were further exploited by examining the hydrogen effects on the dislocation substructure,stacking fault probability,and twinning behaviour in pre-strained slow strain rate test specimens and notched tensile specimens using coupled electron channelling contrast imaging and electron backscatter diffraction techniques.The results reveal that the addition of hydrogen promotes planar dislocation structures,earlier nucleation of stacking faults,and deformation twinning within those grains which have tensile axis orientations close to<111>//rolling direction and<112>//rolling direction.The developed twin lamellae result in strain localization and micro-voids at grain boundaries and eventually lead to grain boundary decohesion.

Numerical Simulation of Twin-Screw Extrusion with Wall Slip

Wall slip boundary condition is first introduced into twin-screw extrusion with the Navier slip law. Three-dimensional isothermal flow in the twin-screw extruder is simulated by using the finite element package POLYFLOW. Profiles of velocity contours in the screw channel and shear rate distributions in the intermeshing region are presented for different slip coefficients. Curves of axial pressure difference, average shear rate and dispersive mixing index vs. the slip coefficient are plotted and discussed. Comparisons are also made between the wall slip conditions and the non-slip condition. The simulation results indicate that, as the level of wall slip decreases, the axial pressure difference rises, the shear effect is intensified and the axial mixing is also enhanced. All these flow characteristics seem to level off with the increase of the slip coefficient. However, because of the inherent limitation of the Navier slip law, use of an overestimated slip coefficient would predict an over-sticky state between the screw surface and the polymer melt.

On the strengthening and slip activity of Mg-3Al-1Zn alloy with pre-induced{1012¯}twins

{1012¯}twins were introduced into the magnesium(Mg)plate AZ31 via pre-rolling along its transverse direction.The plates,both with and without the pre-induced{1012¯}twins,were subjected to uniaxial tension along different directions.Using crystal plasticity modeling,we found that the strengthening effect of the pre-induced{1012¯}twins on the macroscopic flow stress primarily arised from the increased slip resistance caused by the boundaries,rather than the orientation hardening due to the twinning reorientation(although the latter did make its contribution in some specific loading directions).Besides,the pre-existing{1012¯}twins were found,by both experiments and simulation,to promote the activity of prismatic and pyramidal<c+a>in the parent matrix of the material.Further analysis showed that the enhanced non-basal slip activity is related to the{1012¯}twin boundaries’low micro Hall-Petch slope ratios of non-basal slips to basal slip.With the critical resolved shear stress(CRSS)obtained from crystal plasticity modeling and the orientation data from EBSD,a probability-based slip transfer model was proposed.The model predicts higher slip transfer probabilities and thus lower strain concentration tendencies at{1012¯}twin boundaries than that at grain boundaries,which agrees with the experimental observation that the strain localization was primarily associated with the latter.The present findings are helpful scientifically,in deepening our understanding of how the pre-induced{1012¯}twins affect the strength and slip activity of Mg alloys,and technologically,in guiding the design of the pre-strain protocol of Mg alloys.

Twinning during hot compression of ZK30+0.3Yb magnesium alloy

The twinning process of ZK30+0.3Yb magnesium alloy was studied. The results show that twinning occurs at the initial stage of deformation, and decreases during further deformation. The original grain is fragmented after small straining. It is investigated that the twinning boundary activates the occurrence of the non-basal slip system due to the stress concentration at the vicinity of twin boundary introduced by the dislocation pile-ups at the vicinity of twinning boundary. The rearrangement of dislocation after dislocation climb introduces new grain boundary. Simultaneously, twinning occurs to form “polygonization” due to the stress concentration relaxation, and the “polygonization” will transform into low angle boundary to refine the original grain under the shear stress with further straining.

Deformation Twinning in Nanocrystalline Ni during Cryogenic Rolling

Deformation twinning is evidenced by transmission electron microscopy examinations in electrodeposited nanocrystalline （nc） Ni with mean grain size 25nm upon cryogenic rolling. Two twinning mechanisms are confirmed to operate in nc grains, i.e. heterogeneous formation via emission of partial dislocations from the grain boundary and homogeneous nucleation through dynamic overlapping of stacking faults, with the former being determined as the most proficient. Deformation twinning in nc Ni may be well interpreted in terms of molecular dynamics simulation based on generalized planar fault energy curves.

FATIGUE DISLOCATION CONFIGURATIONS IN HEXAGONAL ZIRCALOY-4

Fatigue dislocation configurations of Zircaloy-4 at 470℃×1h stress-relieved condition and 620℃×1h recrystallized condition were analyzed using TEM. Theresults show that: {1 0 1 0} prismatic slip is the primary deformation mode at RT. Prismatic and pyramidal slips are activated simultaneously at 400℃. The typicalsubstructure is the elongated dislocation lines at RT; whereas at 400℃, it is rectangularcells in stress-relieved specimens, and elongated cells plus dipole perpendicular cellboundary in recrystallized specimens. The relationship map among dislocation configuration, test temperature and cyclic strain range is established, finally.