Effect of grain size on hydrogen embrittlement in stable austenitic high-Mn TWIP and high-N stainless steels

Two stable austenitic steels, 20Cr-11Ni-5Mn-0.3N (wt%) stainless steel (STS) and 18Mn-1.5Al-0.6C (wt%) twinning-induced plasticity steel (TWIP), were investigated to understand the effect of grain size on hydrogen embrittlement (HE). Grain refinement promoted HE in the STS but suppressed HE in the TWIP. These opposite effects occurred because the steel composition affected deformation mechanism. Cr-N pair enhanced short-range ordering (SRO) in STS, which promoted planar slip and delayed mechanical twinning. In contrast, TWIP exhibited mechanical twinning which was more active in coarser grains. Final dislocation density after tensile deformation was increased by grain refinement in STS, but was decreased in TWIP. The damaging effects of hydrogen on strain energy at interfaces and on interfacial bonding strength were controlled by dislocation density; therefore, increase in dislocation density led to increase in susceptibility to HE.     

Effects of temperature and grain size on phase-field-crystal deformation simulation

We performed deformation simulations of nanocrystalline structures under different temperature and grain-size conditions using the phase-field-crystal (PFC) method with an isovolumetric numerical scheme proposed by Hirouchi et al. [Development of numerical scheme for phase field crystal deformation simulation. Comput Mater Sci 2009;44:1192-7.], and we discussed the deformation behavior of bicrystalline and polycrystalline metallic materials during plastic deformation in detail. As a result, we were able to observe typical plastic deformation behavior such as the generation, annihilation and movement of dislocations as well as grain rotation and grain boundary (GB) migration depending on the grain size and temperature. It was concluded that the PFC method with the isovolumetric deformation scheme is a powerful tool for simulating polycrystalline metals, because the obtained behaviors were in qualitative agreement with the results obtained by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and experiments.     

Investigation into the room temperature creep-deformation of potassium dihydrogen phosphate crystals using nanoindentation

It has been a tremendous challenge to manufacture damage-free and smooth surfaces of potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP) crystals to meet the requirements of high-energy laser systems. The intrinsic issue is whether a KDP crystal can be plastically deformed so that the material can be removed in a ductile mode during the machining of KDP. This study investigates the room temperature creep-deformation of KDP crystals with the aid of nanoindentation. A stress analysis was carried out to identify the creep mechanism. The results showed that KDP crystals could be plastically deformed at the nanoscale. Dislocation motion is responsible for creep-deformation. Both creep rate and creep depth decrease with decrease in peak force and loading rate. Dislocation nucleation and propagation bring about pop-ins in the loaddisplacement curves during nanoindentation.The full text can be downloaded at https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40436-018-0234-9     

Effective Stacking Fault Energy in Face-Centered Cubic Metals

As a typical configuration in plastic deformations, dislocation arrays possess a large variation of the separation of the partial dislocation pairs in face-centered cubic(fcc) metals. This can be manifested conveniently by an effective stacking fault energy(SFE). The effective SFE of dislocation arrays is described within the elastic theory of dislocations and verified by atomistic simulations. The atomistic modeling results reveal that the general formulae of the effective SFE can give a reasonably satisfactory prediction for all dislocation types, especially for edge dislocation arrays. Furthermore, the predicted variation of the effective SFE is consistent with several previous experiments, in which the measured SFE is not definite, changing with dislocation density. Our approach could provide better understandings of cross-slip and the competition between slip and twinning during plastic deformations in fcc metals.     

Solute hydrogen effects on plastic deformation mechanisms of α-Fe with twist grain boundary

The deformation mechanisms in the α-Fe twist bi-crystals (TBCs) containing differently angled twist grain boundaries (TGBs) are investigated carefully using the molecular dynamics modeling, with especial concerns on how solute hydrogen affects them. The results show that there are three main deformations in the TBCs, i.e. the dislocation glide-dominated mechanism, the twining-dominated mechanism, the dislocation glide and twining co-dominated mechanism, depending upon both the twist angle and the loading direction. In the dislocation glide-dominated TBCs, solute hydrogen increases the dislocation nucleation strength, dislocation mobility and dislocation density, further increases the vacancies concentration due to frequent interactions of solute hydrogen atoms with dislocations. In the dislocation glide and twining co-dominated TBCs, the solute hydrogen has weaker effect on the increase of dislocations density and the decrease of twins fraction with increasing tensile strain. However, in the twining-dominated TBCs, solute hydrogen assists the deformation twinning but doesn't increase significantly the vacancies concentration. So, it seems that twinning deformation is beneficial to resist hydrogen embrittlement (HE). These knowledge is helpful for us to understand the HE mechanism and develop new hydrogen-resistant high-strength materials.     

Strain Hardening Associated with Dislocation,Deformation Twinning,and Dynamic Strain Aging in Fe–20Mn–1.3C–(3Cu) TWIP Steels

The effects of Cu on stacking fault energy,dislocation slip,mechanical twinning,and strain hardening in Fe–20Mn–1.3C twinning-induced plasticity(TWIP) steels were systematically investigated.The stacking fault energy was raised with an average slope of 2 mJ/m2 per 1 wt% Cu.The Fe–20Mn–1.3C–3Cu steel exhibited superior tensile properties,with the ultimate tensile strength reached at 2.27 GPa and elongation up to 96.9% owing to the high strain hardening that occurred.To examine the mechanism of this high strain hardening,dislocation density determination by XRD was calculated.The dislocation density increased with the increasing strain,and the addition of Cu resulted in a decrease in the dislocation density.A comparison of the strain-hardening behavior of Fe–20Mn–1.3C and Fe–20Mn–1.3C–3Cu TWIP steels was made in terms of modified Crussard–Jaoul(C–J) analysis and microstructural observations.Especially at low strains,the contributions of all the relevant deformation mechanisms—slip,twinning,and dynamic strain aging—were quantitatively evaluated.The analysis revealed that the dislocation storage was the leading factor to the increase of the strain hardening,while dynamic strain aging was a minor contributor to strain hardening.Twinning,which interacted with the matrix,acted as an effective barrier to dislocation motion.     

Modeling of nanoscale friction using molecular dynamics simulation

利用分子动力学方法模拟了刚性金刚石压头在Ni单晶体上的滑动过程, 讨论了压入深度对 摩擦力的影响(压入深度对滑动过程中压头下方的微结构演化(能否发射位错环)有很大影响). 结 合摩擦过程中的塑性行为和能量耗散机制, 解释了产生摩擦力锯齿形曲线的原因, 证实了位错的形 核及湮灭是黏--滑机制的原因之一. 不同滑动速度对摩擦力影响的模拟表明, 压头的滑动速度决定 了压头下方位错环的运动和演化形式: 在高速滑动下, 形成的位错环依次沿着滑移面很快向Ni单晶 基体内扩展; 在低速滑动下, 压头下方产生的位错环互相发生作用, 在材料的亚表面形成较低能量的 大位错环, 由此产生的塑性变形主要集中在材料的亚表面.     

Slip systems extracted from lattice rotations and dislocation structures

Data on lattice rotations and dislocation structures induced in aluminium by tensile deformation are analysed together in order to extract the active slip systems. The analysis falls in two steps: (i) from the combination of lattice rotation and dislocation structure data, the grain orientation space represented by the stereographic triangle is subdivided into regions with the same active slip systems; and (ii) the active slip systems calculated from the lattice rotations are compared with those known to be active based on the dislocation structure. For the entire stereographic triangle active slip systems which are in good agreement with both lattice rotations and dislocation structures are identified, showing that the grain orientation is the primary factor controlling the slip systems.     

Transmission and scanning electron microscope study on the secondary cyclic hardening behavior of interstitial-free steel

Strain controlled fatigue experiment was employed to evaluate automotive grade interstitial-free ferrite steel. Hundreds of grains were examined by scanning electron microscope under electron channeling contrast image technique of backscattered electron image mode for comprehensive comparison of micrographs with those taken under transmission electron microscope. The cyclic stress responses clearly revealed that rapid hardening occurs at the early stage of cycling as a result of multiplication of dislocations to develop loop patches, dipolar walls and dislocation cells at various total strain amplitudes. After primary rapid hardening, stress responses varied from being saturated to further hardening according to dislocation structure evolution at various strain amplitudes. The fatigue failure was always accompanied with further hardening including secondary hardening. The corresponding dislocation structures with the three types of hardening behaviors are discussed. Once the secondary hardening starts, dislocation cells began to develop along grain boundaries in the low strain region and then extended into grain interiors as strain amplitudes increased and cycling went on. The secondary hardening rates were found to be directly proportional to their strain amplitudes.