An Study of Nanoscale Mechanical Twins in GH4169 Alloy by Laser Shot Peening Processing

In order to study the mechanism of the fatigue strengthening using laser shot peening in GH4169 alloy, micro-structural and nanoscale mechanical twins (MT) at different depth below the top surface subjected to laser shot peening processing (LSP) were investigated by means of electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations. In terms of the experimental observations and analyses, the formation of refined grains and nanoscale MT mechanism at the near surface of GH4169 alloy as a function of LSP treament can be summarized as follows: (i) two direction low density of MTs divide the initial coarse grains into submicron rhombic blocks; (ii) high density of MTs aligned in two directions subdivide the submicron rhombic blocks into nanoscale rhombic MT blocks; (iii) the third direction MT further refine the nanoscale rhombic MT blocks into nanoscale triangular MT blocks; (iv) some of subdivided blocks evolve into refined grains. An ultra-high strain rate induced by ultra-short laser pulse plays a key role in the formation of refined grains and nanoscale MT during plastic deformation of GH4169 alloy subjected to LSP treatment.

Novel Candidates for Palladium Alloys – Enhanced Strength and Ductility - Generalized Stacking Fault Energy Calculations

Generalized stacking fault energies of palladium alloys were calculated using the density functional theory. The stacking fault energy of palladium alloys is correlated with the valence electron of the transition metal element. The twinning tendency is also modified by the presence of an alloying element in the plane of deformation. The obtained results suggest that Pd –transition metal alloys with elements such as Cr, Mo, W, Mn, Re are expected to exhibit high work hardening rate due to the tendency to emit of the partial dislocations and mechanical twins, which results in increased strength and ductility.

High-stress crystal plasticity of amphibole and quartz in pseudotachylyte-bearing gneisses and dislocation creep in concordant quartz-rich layers from the Silvretta basal thrust (Austria)

<p>Pseudotachylyte-bearing amphibole-rich gneisses with concordant quartz-rich layers from the base of the Silvretta nappe, Austria, are analyzed by polarized light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and electron back scattered diffraction. Amphibole grains show microfractures, undulatory extinction, deformation lamellae, kink bands, mechanical twins and locally recrystallized grains restricted to sites of high strain, e.g. along microshear zones and twin boundaries. The twins are characterized by a twin plane parallel to (-101), a rotation axis parallel to [101] and a misorientation angle of 178°. The (-101) amphibole twins document the high differential stresses during crystal plasticity coeval with pseudotachylyte formation, given their high critical resolved shear stress of 200 MPa. Directly at the contact to twinned amphibole within the gneisses, quartz grains commonly show subbasal deformation lamellae, short-wavelength undulatory extinction and cleavage cracks mostly parallel to {10-11} rhombohedral planes that are decorated by recrystallized grains with a diameter of < 10 µm. The small recrystallized grains show a crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO) that is controlled by the orientation of the host grains. This quartz microstructure consistently indicates high-stress crystal plasticity of quartz concurrent with high-stress crystal plasticity of amphibole and pseudotachylyte formation.</p><p>Quartz-rich layers (>90% quartz) concordant to the foliation of the gneisses commonly show evidence of dynamic recrystallization in the regime of dislocation creep. The recrystallized grain microstructure is mostly homogenous without a gradient towards the lithological contact to the amphibole-rich gneisses. Locally, however, a gradient of decreasing strain towards the contact can be observed as indicated by a decreasing number of recrystallized grains. Close to the contact, quartz grains are coarse with long axes of a few mm. A core-and-mantle structure, where recrystallized grains surround a few hundred µm wide and mm-long porphyroclasts, is occurring in transition towards an almost completely recrystallized microstructure. The recrystallized grains show a CPO indicating rhombohedral <a> dislocation glide. Recrystallized grains are isometric and subgrains in porphyroclasts are of similar shape and size, indicating dynamic subgrain rotation recrystallization. Stresses on the order of hundred MPa are suggested by the diameter of recrystallized grains of in average about 10 µm. Locally, the recrystallized quartz aggregate is affected by subsequent low-temperature plasticity, as indicated by shear fractures offsetting the recrystallized microstructure. The missing or decreasing strain gradients of dislocation creep within the quartz-rich layers towards the amphibole-rich gneisses indicate that dislocation creep in the quartz-rich layers cannot be responsible for transferring high stresses required for high-stress crystal-plasticity of quartz and amphibole as well as pseudotachylyte-formation and suggest that dislocation creep of quartz represents an independent earlier stage of deformation.</p>

Nanoparticles Observed in a Shear Fracture of Dolomite and a Probable Formation Mechanism

Nanoparticles have been extensively found in brittle faults or ductile shear zones, and their formation is closely related to shear movement along the fault plane. However, the formation mechanisms of these nanoparticles are not yet clear. In this study, dolomite samples were triaxially compressed, at a confining pressure of 200–300 MPa, a temperature between 27 °C and 900 °C and a strain rate of approximately 10−5s−1, with a Paterson designed gas medium high-temperature and high-pressure deformation apparatus (HTPDA). Samples deformed at room temperature were characterized by universal microcracks and undulatory extinctions in some grains; when at a temperature between 300 °C and 500 °C, well-developed mechanical twins dominated the microstructure, while at a temperature ≥800 °C, displacements of twin lamellae along a cleavage and a well-developed fracture zone could be seen. Nanoparticles of different shapes were discovered on the slip surfaces of a shear fracture or in microcracks by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). Nanoparticles on deformed samples under low differential stress were usually of sporadic spherical shapes and uneven distribution; while deformed samples under high differential stress had more dense distributions that were identified. Moreover, grain-overlap and nanofine granulation could be recognized in high strain samples. Based on a mechanical data analysis and microstructural observations, it was suggested that the initial formation of nanoparticles was macroscopically determined by the differential stress subjected to the host rocks, and had nothing to do with temperature; whereas the aggregation morphology of the nanoparticles was related to the temperature during the formation and evolution processes of the nanoparticles.

Mechanical twinning of monazite expels radiogenic lead

Mechanical twins form by the simple shear of the crystal lattice during deformation. In order to test the potential of narrow twins in monazite to record the timing of their formation, we investigated a ca. 1700 Ma monazite grain (from the Sandmata Complex, Rajasthan, India) deformed at ca. 980 Ma, by electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and atom probe tomography (APT). APT 208Pb/232Th ages indicate that the twin was entirely reset by radiogenic Pb loss during its formation at conditions far below the monazite closure temperature. The results are consistent with a model where Pb is liberated during rupture of rare earth element–oxygen (REE-O) bonds in the large [REE]O9 polyhedra during twinning. Liberated Pb likely migrated along fast diffusion pathways such as crystal defects. The combination of a quantitative microstructural investigation and nano-geochronology provides a new approach for understanding the history of accessory phases.

Stress corrosion cracking and precipitation strengthening mechanism in TWIP steels: progress and prospects

Twinning-induced plasticity (TWIP) steels are increasingly receiving wide attention for automotive applications due to their outstanding combination of ductility and strength, which can largely be attributed to the strain hardening effect, formation of mechanical twins during straining, and the presence of manganese (Mn) as an alloying element. However, the premature cracking and sudden failure frequently experienced by the TWIP steels under the combined action of tensile stress and corrosion environment remain a challenge for many material scientists and experts up till now. Driven by this challenge, an overview of the stress corrosion cracking (SCC) susceptibility of high-Mn TWIP steels (under the action of both mechanical loading and corrosion reaction) is presented. The SCC susceptibility of the high-Mn TWIP steels is specifically sensitive to hydrogen embrittlement, which is a major factor influencing the SCC behavior, and is a function of the hydrogen content, lattice-defect density and strength level. Besides, the corrosion susceptibility to hydrogen embrittlement may be reduced by suppressing the martensite in the TWIP steels by carbon additions. This review further discusses in detail the precipitation strengthening mechanisms as well as the corrosion behavior of TWIP steel by mechanism.

Initial Deformation Behaviors in Lean Duplex Stainless Steel

The deformation behaviors of the austenite phase in lean duplex stainless steels were investigated through uniaxial tension tests with different amounts of deformation. Microstructural analysis showed that in the initial deformation stage the deformation in austenite grains had a predominant effect on the strain hardening behavior of the LDX-2101 steel. The initial deformation in the austenite grains was found to be mainly accommodated by the formation of stacking faults. As the deformation increased further, mechanical twins were generated by the initial stacking faults and sequentially interacted with dislocations to accommodate the strain. The analysis of dislocation behavior revealed that the deformation twinning process followed the three-layer twin formation mechanism.

The constant electric field effect on the radio absorption of crystals BaTiO3 and piezoceramics PCR-1

The effect of a constant electric field ([Formula: see text]) on the absorption of microwave electromagnetic energy ([Formula: see text]) by BaTiO3 crystals and the highly sensitive PCR-1 piezoceramic was studied. The field dependence of the absorption value [Formula: see text] at the maximum of the spectrum [Formula: see text] has the form of a “butterfly”, and the dependence of the frequency shift of the maximum on the field strength [Formula: see text] has a hysteretic character. The PCR-1 [Formula: see text] absorption spectrum at high [Formula: see text] is modulated by pulses in a wide frequency range. It is assumed that the cause of the amplitude–frequency modulation of the spectrum may be the electromagnetic radiation of incomplete local discharges at the surface of piezoceramics. The change in the magnitude and position of the resonance maximum in the absorption spectra and the appearance of amplitude–frequency modulation [Formula: see text] when exposed to a constant field is interpreted from the point of view of changes in the parameters and concentration of the domains walls, as well as the [Formula: see text]- and [Formula: see text]-domain wedges of mechanical twins resonating in the electromagnetic field.

Dynamic recrystallization behavior of the Ta-containing TiAl alloy in isothermal deformation

The dynamic recrystallization behavior of as-cast Ti-46.5Al-3Ta-2Cr-0.2W alloy during isothermal compression process with nominal deformation of 50% and strain rates from 0.01s to 1s was investigated by electron microscopy. The results showed that the deformation mechanism of this alloy can be concluded as grain boundary sliding and mechanical twins, which induce the final dynamic recrystallization. The phase boundary bulging was found to be the major nucleation mechanism responsible for the lamellar globularization and the formation of recrystallized γ grains inside the lamellar colony under the high strain rate. The recrystallized γ grains induced by the twinning is the main mechanism for refining α2 lamellar microstructures under low strain rate.