Enhancing the strain hardening and ductility of Mg-Y alloy by introducing stacking faults

Due to the insufficient slip systems,Mg and its alloys exhibit poor ductility during plastic deformation at room temperature.To solve this problem,alloying is considered as a most effective method to improve the ductility of Mg alloys,which attracts wide attentions of industries.However,it is still a challenge to understand the ductilization mechanism,because of the complicated alloying elements and their interactions with Mg matrix.In this work,pure Mg and Mg-Y alloys were comparatively studied to investigate the effect of Y addition on microstructure evolution and mechanical properties.A huge increase of uniform elongation,from 5.3%to 20.7%,was achieved via only 3 wt%addition of yttrium.TEM results revealed that the only activated slip system in pure Mg was basalslip,led to its poor ductility at room temperature.In contrast,a large number of stacking faults and non-basal dislocations with<c>component were observed in the deformed Mg-Y alloy,which was proposed as the main reason for significant improvement of strain hardening and ductility.High resolution TEM indicated that most of the stacking faults were II and 12 intrinsic faults,which played a critical role in improving the ductility of Mg-Y alloy.Addition of Y into Mg alloy decreased the stacking fault energy,which induced high density stacking faults in the grain interior.

Corrosion behavior of Mg-3Gd-1Zn-0.4Zr alloy with and without stacking faults

To develop biodegradable magnesium alloy with desirable corrosion properties,a low Gd-containing Mg-3Gd-1Zn-0.4Zr(wt%,GZ31K)alloy was prepared.The as-cast ingot was solution treated and then hot extruded.Microstructures were characterized by scanning electron microscopy(SEM).Corrosion behavior of the alloy under each condition was studied by hydrogen evolution and quasi in-situ corrosion methods.It has been found that the as-cast alloy is composed ofα-Mg,stacking faults(SFs)at the outer edge of the matrix grains,and eutectic phase along the grain boundaries.After solution treatment,the SFs disappear and precipitates rich in Zn and Zr elements form in the grain interior and boundaries.The microstructure is significantly refined after extrusion.Hydrogen evolution tests show that the as-cast alloy exhibits the best corrosion resistance,and the solution-treated alloy has the worst corrosion resistance.Corrosion rate of the alloy under each condition decreases first and then increases with prolonging immersion time.Corrosion experiments demonstrate thatα-Mg was corroded preferentially,the eutectic phase and precipitates exhibit better corrosion resistance.The as-extruded alloy demonstrates uniform corrosion due to fine and homogeneous microstructure.

Effects of Nd on microstructure and mechanical properties of as-cast Mg-12Gd-2Zn-xNd-0.4Zr alloys with stacking faults

In order to study the effects of Nd addition on microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-Gd-Zn-Zr alloys,the microstruc-ture and mechanical properties of the as-cast Mg-12Gd-2Zn-xNd-0.4Zr(x=0,0.5wt%,and 1wt%)alloys were investigated by using optical microscope,scanning electron microscope,X-ray diffractometer,nano indentation tester,microhardness tester,and tensile testing machine.The results show that the microstructures mainly consist ofα-Mg matrix,eutectic phase,and stacking faults.The addition of Nd plays a significant role in grain refinement and uniform microstructure.The tensile yield strength and microhardness increase but the compression yield strength decreases with increasing Nd addition,leading to weakening tension-compression yield asymmetry in reverse of the Mg-12Gd-2Zn-xNd-0.4Zr alloys.The highest ultimate tensile strength(194 MPa)and ultimate compression strength(397 MPa)are obtained with 1wt%Nd addition of the alloy.

Effects of twin and stacking faults on the deformation behaviors of Al nanowires under tension loading

The effects of twin spacing and temperature on the deformation behavior of nanotwinned Al under tensile loading are investigated using a molecular dynamic（MD） simulation method.The result shows that the yield strength of nanotwinned Al decreases with the increase of twin spacing,which is related to the repulsive force between twin boundary and the dislocation.The result also shows that there is no strain-hardening at the yield point.On the contrary,the stress is raised by strain hardening in the plastic stage.In addition,we also investigate the effects of stacking fault thickness and temperature on the yield strength of the Al nanowire.The simulation results indicate that the stacking fault may strengthen the Al nanowire when the thickness of the stacking fault is below a critical value.

Correlation of work function and stacking fault energy through Kelvin probe force microscopy and nanohardness in diluteα-magnesium

Electronic interactions of the Group 2A elements with magnesium have been studied through the dilute solid solutions in binary Mg-Ca,Mg-Sr and Mg-Ba systems.This investigation incorporated the difference in the‘Work Function'(ΔWF)measured via Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy(KPFM),as a property directly affected by interatomic bond types,i.e.the electronic structure,nanoindentation measurements,and Stacking Fault Energy values reported in the literature.It was shown that the nano-hardness of the solid-solutionα-Mg phase changed in the order of Mg-Ca>Mg-Sr>Mg-Ba.Thus,it was shown,by also considering the nano-hardness levels,that SFE of a solid-solution is closely correlated with its‘Work Function'level.Nano-hardness measurements on the eutectics andΔWF difference between eutectic phases enabled an assessment of the relative bond strength and the pertinent electronic structures of the eutectics in the three alloys.Correlation withΔWF and at least qualitative verification of those computed SFE values with some experimental measurement techniques were considered important as those computational methods are based on zero Kelvin degree,relatively simple atomic models and a number of assumptions.As asserted by this investigation,if the results of measurement techniques can be qualitatively correlated with those of the computational methods,it can be possible to evaluate the electronic structures in alloys,starting from binary systems,going to ternary and then multi-elemental systems.Our investigation has shown that such a qualitative correlation is possible.After all,the SFE values are not treated as absolute values but rather become essential in comparative investigations when assessing the influences of alloying elements at a fundamental level,that is,free electron density distributions.Our study indicated that the principles of‘electronic metallurgy'in developing multi-elemental alloy systems can be followed via practical experimental methods,i.e.ΔWF measurements using KPFM and nanoindentation.

Formation mechanism of partial stacking faults by incompletemixed-mode phase transformation: A case study of Fe-Ga alloys

Partial stacking faults(PSFs) formed by incomplete mixed-mode phase transformation have been found to exhibit unfixed slip distance of closely-packed planes unlike those of the deformation-induced stacking faults(SFs) with fixed distance. Though engineering PSFs can yield appealing properties, such as the enhanced damping capacity, understanding of the interaction between lattice distortion and atomic diffusion and their influences on forming PSFs is still far from being clear. Herein we performed a case study on aged Fe-Ga alloy that undergoes a mixed-mode phase transformation from body-centered cubic(BCC)to ordered face-centered cubic(FCC). The TEM investigations showed that the faulted {111}-FCC distance of the PSFs is shorter than a/6<112> of the typical {111}-<112> SFs in deformed FCC materials and the PSFs have disordered Fe and Ga arrangements. Further studies revealed that such PSFs will not be completely dissociated at FCC twin boundaries(TBs) even after long term isothermal aging. Consequently,the formation of PSFs can be ascribed to the transformation-dependent atomic ordering and lattice shear strain of the parent BCC lattice, where the diffusion-controlled glides of the PSFs-associated dislocations will accelerate atomic diffusions due to the dislocation-pipe effect along <112>-FCC direction, but may hinder the atomic diffusions across the {111}-FCC TBs due to the retarding effect. This study may add important insight into the defects process during mixed-mode phase transformation and broaden the knowledge of the interaction between concurrently-happened lattice distortion and atomic diffusion.

Unveiling phonon frequency-dependent mechanism of heat transport across stacking fault in silicon carbide

Stacking faults(SFs)are often present in silicon carbide(SiC)and affect its thermal and heat-transport properties.However,it is unclear how SFs influence thermal transport.Using non-equilibrium molecular dynamics and lattice dynamics simulations,we studied phonon transport in SiC materials with an SF.Compared to perfect SiC materials,the SF can reduce thermal conductivity.This is caused by the additional interface thermal resistance(ITR)of SF,which is difficult to capture by the previous phenomenological models.By analyzing the spectral heat flux,we find that SF reduces the contribution of low-frequency(7.5 THz-12 THz)phonons to the heat flux,which can be attributed to SF reducing the phonon lifetime and group velocity,especially in the low-frequency range.The SF hinders phonon transport and results in an effective interface thermal resistance around the SF.Our results provide insight into the microscopic mechanism of the effect of defects on heat transport and have guiding significance for the regulation of the thermal conductivity of materials.

Unusual F_(3)stacking fault in magnesium

An unusual F_(3)basal stacking fault resulting from twin-dislocation interaction in magnesium is observed in molecular dynamics simulation.The F_(3)fault is produced in the twin lattice from the interaction between a migrating(1012)twin boundary and a partial dislocation of either a prismatic<c>edge,or a prismatic<c+a>mixed dislocation in the matrix.The condition is that the partial dislocation needs to have a negative sign and lie on a plane intersecting a compression site of the twin boundary.The F_(3)fault can also be generated when a positive basal<a>mixed dislocation in the twin lattice,with slip plane intersecting a compression site of the twin boundary,interacts with a basal-prismatic twinning disconnection.The F_(3)fault comprises two I_(1) faults that have the same character but are separated by two basal layers.It has one end connected to the twin boundary,and the other end bounded by a lattice defect with a Burgers vector identical to that of a 30°Shockley partial dislocation.The formation frequency of the F_(3)fault is higher at a lower shear stress(below∼400 MPa)and/or a lower temperature(100 K and 200 K).The F_(3)fault can decompose into a glissile 30°Shockley and a T_(2) fault at a temperature above∼400 K.The relationships between the F_(3)fault and other types of basal stacking faults such as I_(2),T_(2) or paired I_(1) faults that are separated by multiple basal layers are discussed.

Formation of I1 stacking fault by deformation defect evolution from grain boundaries in Mg

I_(1)stacking faults(SFs)in Mg alloys are regarded as the nucleation sites of<c+a>dislocations that are critical for these alloys to achieve high ductility.Previously it was proposed that the formation of I_(1)SFs requires the accumulations of a large number of vacancies,which are difficult to achieve at low temperatures.In this study,molecular dynamics(MD)and molecular statics(MS)simulations based on empirical interatomic potentials were applied to investigate the deformation defect evolutions from the symmetric tilt grain boundaries(GBs)in Mg and Mg-Y alloys under external loading along<c>-axis.The results show the planar faults(PFs)on Pyramidal I planes first appear due to the nucleation and glide of(1/2 c+p)partial dislocations from GBs,where p=1/3(1010).These partial dislocations with pyramidal PFs interact with other defects,including pyramidal PFs themselves,GBs,and ppartial dislocations,generating a large amount of I_(1)SFs.Detailed analyses show the nucleation and growth of I_(1)SFs are achieved by atomic shuffle events and deformation defect reactions without the requirements of vacancy diffusion.Our simulations also suggest the Y clusters at GBs can reduce the critical stress for the formation of pyramidal PFs and I_(1)SFs,which provide a possible reason for the experimental observations that Y promotes the<c+a>dislocation activities.

Recent developments on corrosion behaviors of Mg alloys with stacking fault or long period stacking ordered structures

Corrosion is one of the most drawbacks which restricts the wide applications of Mg alloys.In the last decade,the corrosion behaviors of Mg alloys with stacking fault(SF)and/or long period stacking ordered(LPSO)structures have obtained increasing attention.However,the corrosion mechanism of the SF–or LPSO–containing Mg alloys has not been well illustrated and even reverse results have been reported.In this paper,we have reviewed recent reports on corrosion behaviors of SF–or LPSO–containing Mg alloys to better clarify and understand the significance and mechanism.Moreover,some deficiencies are presented and advises are proposed for the development of corrosion resistant Mg alloys with SF or LPSO structures.

Determination of stacking fault energies in a high-Nb TiAl alloy at 298 K and 1273 K

The stacking fault energies of Ti-46Al-8.5Nb-0.2W alloy at 298 K and 1273 K were determined. The principle for the determination of the stacking fault energies is based on the fact that the stacking fault energy and the elastic interaction energy acting on the dissociated partial dislocations are equal. After the compress deformations with the strain of 0.2% at 298 K and 1273 K, and water quench to maintain the dislocation structures deformed at 1273 K, the dissociation distances between two partial dislocations were determined by weak beam transmission electron microscopy (WBTEM) technique. Based on these dissociation distances and the corresponding calculation method, the stacking fault energies were determined to be 77-81 mJ/m2 at 298 K and to be 57-60mJ/m2 at 1273 K respectively.

First-principles study of the effects of selected interstitial atoms on the generalized stacking fault energies, strength, and ductility of Ni

We analyze the influences of interstitial atoms on the generalized stacking fault energy （GSFE）, strength, and ductility of Ni by first-principles calculations. Surface energies and GSFE curves are calculated for the （112） （111） and / 101） （ 1 1 1） systems. Because of the anisotropy of the single crystal, the addition of interstitials tends to promote the strength of Ni by slipping along the （10T） direction while facilitating plastic deformation by slipping along the （115） direction. There is a different impact on the mechanical behavior of Ni when the interstitials are located in the slip plane. The evaluation of the Rice criterion reveals that the addition of the interstitials H and O increases the brittleness in Ni and promotes the probability of cleavage fracture, while the addition of S and N tends to increase the ductility. Besides, P, H, and S have a negligible effect on the deformation tendency in Ni, while the tendency of partial dislocation is more prominent with the addition of N and O. The addition of interstitial atoms tends to increase the high-energy barrier γmax, thereby the second partial resulting from the dislocation tends to reside and move on to the next layer.

Molecular dynamics simulation on generalized stacking fault energies of FCC metals under preloading stress

Molecular dynamics(MD) simulations are performed to investigate the effects of stress on generalized stacking fault(GSF) energy of three fcc metals(Cu, Al, and Ni). The simulation model is deformed by uniaxial tension or compression in each of [111], [11-2], and [1-10] directions, respectively, before shifting the lattice to calculate the GSF curve. Simulation results show that the values of unstable stacking fault energy(γusf), stable stacking fault energy(γsf), and unstable twin fault energy(γutf) of the three elements can change with the preloaded tensile or compressive stress in different directions.The ratio of γsf/γusf, which is related to the energy barrier for full dislocation nucleation, and the ratio of γutf/γusf, which is related to the energy barrier for twinning formation are plotted each as a function of the preloading stress. The results of this study reveal that the stress state can change the energy barrier of defect nucleation in the crystal lattice, and thereby can play an important role in the deformation mechanism of nanocrystalline material.

Stacking fault energy,yield stress anomaly, and twinnability of Ni_3Al:A first principles study

Using first principles calculations combined with the quasiharmonic approach, we study the effects of temperature on the elastic constants, generalized stacking fault energies, and generalized planar fault energies of Ni3Al. The antiphase boundary energies, complex stacking fault energies, superlattice intrinsic stacking fault energies, and twinning energies decrease slightly with temperature. Temperature dependent anomalous yield stress of Ni3Al is predicted by the energybased criterion based on elastic anisotropy and antiphase boundary energies. It is found that p increases with temperature and this can give a more accurate description of the anomalous yield stress in Ni3Al. Furthermore, the predicted twinnablity of Ni3Al is also decreasing with temperature.

EFFECT OF Cr AND Al CONTENT ON THE STACKING FAULT ENERGY IN r-Fe-Mn ALLOYS

The effects of Cr and Al content were investigated on the stacking fault energy in austenitic Fe-31Mn-(0-7.26)Cr-0.96C and Fe-31Mn-(0-8.68)Al-0.85C alloys by the thermodynamic analysis. The results show that the additions of chromium or aluminum increase the non-magnetic component of the stacking fault energy in the γ-Fe-Mn alloys, and the effect of aluminum is larger than that of chromium. The change in the magnetic entropy caused in the antiferromagnetic transition increases the free energy difference between the γ and s phases in the γr-Fe-Mn alloys. The effects of chromium and aluminum on the magnetic component were discussed on the basis of the influence of both upon the antiferromagnetic transition in the γ-Fe-Mn alloys.

Variation in Creep Rupture of γ′ Strengthened Superalloys with Stacking Fault Energy of Matrices

The correlation between the creep rupture behaviour and the stacking fault energy of matrices of γ′strengthened superalloys has been studied dur- ing constant load creep.At high temperature and intermediate stress,the creep rupture time and strain strongly depend on the stacking fault energy of matrices rather than the creep friction stress,but at higher stress,the role of grain boundary carbides becomes more obvious. However,in the considerably extensive stress range investigated here,the mean creep rate is a power function of the stacking fault energy of matrices and the power index decreases with in- creasing initial applied stress.Particularly,at inter- mediate stresses the product of this index and the initial applied stress compensated by the shear modulus is same for two series of superalloys. Hence,this product may be a criterion predicting that the matrix deformation controls high tempera- ture creep rupture.

Effect of Re on stacking fault nucleation under shear strain in Ni by atomistic simulation

The effect of Re on stacking fault （SF） nucleation under shear strain in Ni is investigated using the climbing image nudged elastic band method with a Ni-A1-Re embedded-atom-method potential. A parameter （△Ebsf）, the activation energy of SF nucleation under shear strain, is introduced to evaluate the effect of Re on SF nucleation under shear strain. Calcu- lation results show that △Ebsf decreases with Re addition, which means that SF nucleation under shear strain in Ni may be enhanced by Re. The atomic structure observation shows that the decrease of △Ebsf may be due to the expansion of local structure around the Re atom when SF goes through the Re atom.

Stacking fault probability and stacking fault energy in CoNi alloys

The stacking fault probability of CoNi alloys with different contents of Ni was measured by X ray diffraction methods. The results show that the stacking fault decreases with increasing Ni content and with increasing temperature. The thermodynamical calculation has found an equation that can express the stacking fault energy γ of CoNi at temperature T . The phase equilibrium temperature depends on the composition of the certain alloy. The relationship between stacking fault energy γ and stacking fault probability P sf is determined.

Determination of stacking fault energies in a high-Nb TiAl alloy at 298 K and 1273 K

The stacking fault energies of Ti-46Al-8.5Nb-0.2W alloy at 298 K and 1273 Kwere determined. The principle for the determination of the stacking fault energies is based on thefact that the stacking fault energy and the elastic interaction energy acting on the dissociatedpartial dislocations are equal. After the compress deformations with the strain of 0.2% at 298 K and1273 K, and water quench to maintain the dislocation structures deformed at 1273 K, thedissociation distances between two partial dislocations were determined by weak beam transmissionelectron microscopy (WBTEM) technique. Based on these dissociation distances and the correspondingcalculation method, the stacking fault energies were determined to be 77-81 mJ/m^2 at 298 K and tobe 57-60mJ/m^2 at 1273 K respectively.

Developing new Mg alloy as potential bone repair material via constructing weak anode nano-lamellar structure

The mechanics-corrosion and strength-ductility tradeoffs of magnesium(Mg)alloys have limited their applications in fields such as orthopedic implants.Herein,a fine-grain structure consisting of weak anodic nano-lamellar solute-enriched stacking faults(SESFs)with the average thickness of 8 nm and spacing of 16 nm is constructed in an as-extruded Mg96.9Y1.2Ho1.2Zn0.6Zr0.1(at.%)alloy,obtaining a high yield strength(YS)of 370 MPa,an excellent elongation(EL)of 17%,and a low corrosion rate of 0.30 mm y−1(close to that of high-pure Mg)in a uniform corrosion mode.Through scanning Kelvin probe force microscopy(SKPFM),one-dimensional nanostructured SESFs are identified as the weak anode(∼24 mV)for the first time.The excellent corrosion resistance is mainly related to the weak anodic nature of SESFs and their nano-lamellar structure,leading to the more uniform potential distribution to weaken galvanic corrosion and the release of abundant Y^(3+)/Ho^(3+)from SESFs to form a more protective film with an outer Ca_(10)(PO_(4))_(6)(OH)_(2)/Y_(2)O_(3)/Ho_(2)O_(3) layer(thickness percentage of this layer:72.45%).For comparison,the as-cast alloy containing block 18R long period stacking ordered(LPSO)phase and the heat-treated alloy with fine lamellar 18R-LPSO phase(thickness:80 nm,spacing:120 nm)are also studied,and the characteristics of SESFs and 18R-LPSO phase,such as the weak anode nature of the former and the cathode nature of the latter(37-90 mV),are distinguished under the same alloy composition.Ultimately,we put forward the idea of designing Mg alloys with high mechanical and anti-corrosion properties by constructing"homogeneous potential strengthening microstructure",such as the weak anode nano-lamellar SESFs structure.