In situ TEM study of deformation twinning in Ni–Mn–Ga non-modulated martensite

The straining of non-modulated (NM) Ni–Mn–Ga martensite was studied by in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Initially, the self-accommodated NM martensitic structure consists of internally twinned domains. During straining, the detwinning process starts within these domains. The internal twin variant more favorably oriented to the stress grows at the expense of the other one. In the detwinned, single-variant domain, a new twin variant can form, gradually replacing the existing variant via the twinning process. Both processes—detwinning and new twinning—proceed by the same mechanism, namely by the movement of twinning dislocations along the twin boundary. Lattice dislocations are also created in the detwinning process. While the boundaries between the internal twins are coherent and mobile, the boundaries between the internally twinned domains are incoherent, strained and not mobile. The planes of the coherent twin boundary are {2 0 2) planes and the Burgers vectors of the twinning dislocations are parallel to the 〈1 0 1] direction. The magnitude of the Burgers vector determined from the TEM observations disagrees with the calculation from the lattice constant measurement by X-ray diffraction. Possible reasons for this discrepancy are discussed.     

Multiscale modeling of plastic deformation of molybdenum and tungsten: I. Atomistic studies of the core structure and glide of 1/2〈1 1 1〉 screw dislocations at 0 K

Owing to their non-planar cores, 1/2〈1 1 1〉 screw dislocations govern the plastic deformation of body-centered cubic (bcc) metals. Atomistic studies of the glide of these dislocations at 0 K have been performed using Bond Order Potentials for molybdenum and tungsten that account for the mixed metallic and covalent bonding in transition metals. When applying pure shear stress in the slip direction significant twinning–antitwinning asymmetry is displayed for molybdenum but not for tungsten. However, for tensile/compressive loading the Schmid law breaks down in both metals, principally due to the effect of shear stresses perpendicular to the slip direction that alter the dislocation core. Recognition of this phenomenon forms a basis for the development of physically based yield criteria that capture the breakdown of the Schmid law in bcc metals. Moreover, dislocation glide may be preferred on {1 1 0} planes other than the most highly stressed one, which is reminiscent of the anomalous slip observed in many bcc metals.     

Deformation mechanisms of a 20Mn TWIP steel investigated by in situ neutron diffraction and TEM

The deformation mechanisms and associated microstructure changes during tensile loading of an annealed twinning-induced plasticity steel with chemical composition Fe–20Mn–3Si–3Al–0.045C (wt.%) were systematically investigated using in situ time-of-flight neutron diffraction in combination with post mortem transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The initial microstructure of the investigated alloy consists of equiaxed γ grains with the initial α′-phase of ～7% in volume. In addition to dislocation slip, twinning and two types of martensitic transformations from the austenite to α′- and ε-martensites were observed as the main deformation modes during the tensile deformation. In situ neutron diffraction provides a powerful tool for establishing the deformation mode map for elucidating the role of different deformation modes in different strain regions. The critical stress is 520 MPa for the martensitic transformation from austenite to α′-martensite, whereas a higher stress (>600 MPa) is required for actuating the deformation twin and/or the martensitic transformation from austenite to ε-martensite. Both ε- and α′-martensites act as hard phases, whereas mechanical twinning contributes to both the strength and the ductility of the studied steel. TEM observations confirmed that the twinning process was facilitated by the parent grains oriented with 〈1 1 1〉 or 〈1 1 0〉 parallel to the loading direction. The nucleation and growth of twins are attributed to the pole and self-generation formation mechanisms, as well as the stair-rod cross-slip mechanism.     

Lattice correspondence during twinning in hexagonal close-packed crystals

The correspondence of the dominant slip modes in parent and twin structures in hexagonal closed-packed crystals is considered within the framework of the theory of deformation twinning. The correspondence matrices, which provide a link between the parent and twin lattices, have been worked out for compound twinning modes and selected metals. Geometrical considerations suggest that in most cases deformation twins should inherit a harder dislocation substructure than that of the corresponding parent. Possible mechanisms of twin hardening are discussed.     

Lattice strain evolution during tensile and compressive loading of CP Ti

The micromechanics of textured Grade 1 commercially pure titanium are examined using neutron diffraction, self-consistent modelling and microscopy. It is found that twinning produces greater hardening than slip, that the residual lattice strains produced in the (0 0 0 2) are on the order of 0.001, and that both compression and tension twins are observed for both tensile and compression straining. The critical resolved shear stresses found are consistent with the macroscopic flow curves, lattice strains and textures produced, but are much lower than those found using uncorrected focused ion beam-milled micromechanical testing. The twins observed in axial compression were thicker than those found when compressing in the hoop direction, which is taken to imply that axial compression produced a greater number of twinning dislocations that could result in twin thickening.     

In situ neutron diffraction and polycrystal plasticity modeling of a Mg–Y–Nd–Zr alloy: Effects of precipitation on individual deformation mechanisms

In situ neutron diffraction compression tests were performed on Mg–Y–Nd–Zr alloy WE43, in the solution heat-treated, peak- and over-aged conditions. The flow curves and internal strain evolutions were modeled using polycrystal plasticity simulation, with the inclusion of an elastic phase to account for the presence of precipitates. The results reveal that prismatic plate-shaped precipitates strongly impede basal slip; the critical resolved shear strength (CRSS) of basal slip increases from 12 to 37 MPa, an increase of over 200%. However, hard deformation modes such as non-basal slip of 〈a〉 dislocations are required for macroscopic yielding. These hard modes are not as strongly affected by aging, with CRSS values which increase from 78 to 92 MPa, an increase of only 18%. The results of the study are consistent with recent modeling of the relative Orowan strengthening of individual deformation modes and the superposition of various strengthening effects (solid solution and precipitation). This finding helps to explain why the age-hardening response of Mg–Y–Nd–Zr alloys is not exceptional. It is concluded that future precipitation-strengthened alloy and process design strategies should focus on promoting high number densities of particles. The effect of aging upon twinning is surprising. The most age-hardened material exhibits more twinning than the solutionized material. To model this behavior using polycrystal plasticity, the critical stress to activate twinning (especially the strain hardening thereof) must be decreased.     

Simulation of deformation twins and deformation texture in an AZ31 Mg alloy under uniaxial compression

To investigate deformation twins and the evolution of deformation texture during plastic deformation, uniaxial compression tests on a hot-rolled AZ31 Mg alloy were carried out at 200 °C. Cylindrical specimens were then compressed in both the rolling and the normal directions. The findings revealed that texture evolution, work hardening and macroscopic anisotropy are strongly dependent on the loading direction. Electron backscattered diffraction analysis was used to examine the orientation of parent grains and twin bands in the AZ31 Mg alloy under uniaxial compression. A viscoplastic self-consistent model (VPSC) was theoretically employed to calculate the relative activities of slip and twin systems in polycrystalline hexagonal aggregates under uniaxial compression. Each deformed grain exhibited an independent number and type of twin variants under uniaxial compression. Neutron diffraction was used to measure the macroscopic texture of the AZ31 Mg alloy. The VPSC model was used to simulate texture evolution, work hardening and macroscopic anisotropy during the uniaxial compression. A modified predominant twin reorientation (PTR) scheme was suggested to explain the gradual increase in twin volume in deformed grains.     

Modeling lattice strain evolution during uniaxial deformation of textured Zircaloy-2

An elastoplastic self-consistent model was used to interpret the experimental lattice strain evolution previously reported for testing in three directions of a thick polycrystalline Zircaloy-2 slab. The model was used to infer the underlying deformation mechanisms. The influences of prism 〈a〉 slip, basal 〈a〉 slip, pyramidal 〈c + a〉 slip and tensile twinning were considered. The critical resolved shear stresses and hardening parameters for each mode were obtained by simultaneously fitting the macroscopic flow curves, Lankford coefficients and internal elastic strain development for all diffraction peaks, for the combination of three measurement directions and three loading directions, for compression and tension. The effects of dislocation interactions during deformation and hardening between deformation modes were considered. Tensile twinning inferred from the intensity changes of the diffraction peaks and its activity was qualitatively reproduced by the simulations for compression in the plate rolling and transverse directions and tension in the plate normal direction.     

Critique of mechanisms of formation of deformation,annealing and growth twins: Face-centered cubic metals and alloys

The formation of deformation, annealing and growth twins in face-centered cubic materials is discussed. Slip precedes deformation twinning, and twins form from the interaction between primary and secondary slip dislocations having co-planar, but different, Burgers vectors. The influence of several metallurgical variables on twinning can only be rationalized in terms of the model. Annealing twins form due to growth accidents on differently inclined {1 1 1} facets present on a migrating grain boundary. Growth twins also form by growth accidents on the {1 1 1} planes.     

Microplastic processes developed in pure Ag with mesoscale annealing twins

The impact of annealing twin boundaries with a high residual defect content on the mechanical response of polycrystalline fine- and coarse-grained (2 and 20 μm) silver was investigated through transmission electron microscopy and modeling. Besides an increase in the yield strength, the fine-grained material exhibited an inflection in the stress–strain curve after initial yield. Static and dynamic TEM studies revealed that the annealing twin boundaries acted as sources of perfect dislocations, partial dislocations and deformation twins; as barriers to the propagation of these dislocations; and as annihilation sites for dislocations. With increasing strain and as the twin boundaries were penetrated by dislocations, they contributed less to the overall mechanical properties. Based on these observations, equations for the evolution of mobile and forest dislocation densities are posed, depicting boundary sources and dislocation–dislocation interactions, respectively. The deformation response is modeled by computing the aggregate response of matrix–twin composite grains in the viscoplastic self-consistent scheme, which permits consideration of compatibility and equilibrium requirements across the twin boundaries. This work highlights the significant role boundaries play in generating the dislocations that control the macroscopic mechanical response.     

Characterization of mobile type I and type II twin boundaries in 10M modulated Ni–Mn–Ga martensite by electron backscatter diffraction

Mobile type I and type II twin boundaries mediating the magnetic field-induced strain in five-layered modulated (10M) Ni–Mn–Ga martensite were analyzed by electron backscatter diffraction. Taking into account the slight monoclinic distortion of the pseudo-tetragonal lattice, the electron backscatter diffraction study reveals domains of 0.01–1 mm thickness adjacent to the type I and type II twin boundaries. The domains differing in the modulation direction are {1 0 0) compound twins and their effect on twinning stress is discussed. Detailed analysis of type II twin boundary reveals that the domains are further internally twinned by compound {1 1 0) twins 1–15 μm in size. An additional example of a complex twin microstructure combining type I and type II twin boundaries is presented.     

Adiabatic temperature increase associated with deformation twinning and dislocation plasticity

We studied local deformation and temperature effects associated with mechanical twinning in Fe–3 wt.% Si at room temperature. During tensile testing, two large stress drops occurred. They were accompanied by local strain and temperature bursts, which we mapped via simultaneous displacement and temperature field characterization. To identify the microstructural origin of these phenomena, we performed high resolution electron backscatter scanning diffraction and electron channeling contrast imaging measurements. The microstructure at the positions where strong adiabatic heating occurred was characterized by the formation of primary twins and high dislocation activity within a range of about 10 μm around the twin–matrix interface. We suggest that the local temperature and strain jumps result from the formation and dissipative motion of lattice dislocations that accommodate twinning.     

Atomistic characterization of pseudoelasticity and shape memory in NiTi nanopillars

Molecular dynamics simulations are performed to study the atomistic mechanisms governing the pseudoelasticity and shape memory in nickel–titanium (NiTi) nanostructures. For a 〈1 1 0〉 – oriented nanopillar subjected to compressive loading–unloading, we observe either a pseudoelastic or shape memory response, depending on the applied strain and temperature that control the reversibility of phase transformation and deformation twinning. We show that irreversible twinning arises owing to the dislocation pinning of twin boundaries, while hierarchically twinned microstructures facilitate the reversible twinning. The nanoscale size effects are manifested as the load serration, stress plateau and large hysteresis loop in stress–strain curves that result from the high stresses required to drive the nucleation-controlled phase transformation and deformation twinning in nanosized volumes. Our results underscore the importance of atomistically resolved modeling for understanding the phase and deformation reversibilities that dictate the pseudoelasticity and shape memory behavior in nanostructured shape memory alloys.     

Twinning stress in shape memory alloys: Theory and experiments

Utilizing first-principles atomistic simulations we present a twin nucleation model based on the Peierls–Nabarro formulation. We investigated twinning in several important shape memory alloys, starting with Ni₂FeGa (14M modulated monoclinic and L1₀ crystals) to illustrate the methodology, and predicted the twin stress in Ni₂MnGa, NiTi, Co₂NiGa, and Co₂NiAl martensites, all of which were in excellent agreement with the experimental results. Minimization of the total energy led to determination of the twinning stress accounting for the twinning energy landscape in the presence of interacting multiple twin dislocations and disregistry profiles at the dislocation core. The validity of the model was confirmed by determining the twinning stress from experiments on Ni₂FeGa (14M and L1₀), NiTi, and Ni₂MnGa and utilizing results from the literature for Co₂NiGa and Co₂NiAl martensites. This paper demonstrates that the predicted twinning stress can vary from 3.5 MPa in 10M Ni₂MnGa to 129 MPa for the B19′ NiTi case, consistent with the experimental results.     

The mechanical properties and the deformation microstructures of the C15 Laves phase Cr2Nb at high temperatures

Compression tests between 1250 and 1550 °C and 10⁻⁵ and 5 × 10⁻³ s⁻¹ and transmission electron microscopy have been employed to investigate the high temperature mechanical properties and the deformation mechanisms of the C15 Cr₂Nb Laves phase. The stress-peaks in the compression curves during yielding were explained using a mechanism similar to strain aging combined with a low initial density of mobile dislocations. The primary deformation mechanism is slip by extended dislocations with Burgers vector 1/2〈1 1 0〉, whereas twinning is more frequent at 10⁻⁴ s⁻¹. Schmid factor analysis indicated that twinning is more probable in grains oriented so as to have two co-planar twinning systems with high and comparable resolved shear stresses. Twinning produced very anisotropic microstructures. This may be due to synchroshear: a self-pinning mechanism which requires co-operative motion of zonal dislocations.     

Deformation twins in nanocrystalline body-centered cubic Mo as predicted by molecular dynamics simulations

This work studies deformation twins in nanocrystalline body-centered cubic Mo, including the nucleation and growth mechanisms as well as their effects on ductility, through molecular dynamics simulations. The deformation processes of nanocrystalline Mo are simulated using a columnar grain model with three different orientations. The deformation mechanisms identified, including dislocation slip, grain-boundary-mediated plasticity, deformation twins and martensitic transformation, are in agreement with previous studies. In 〈1 1 0〉 columnar grains, the deformation is dominated by twinning, which nucleates primarily from the grain boundaries by successive emission of twinning partials and thickens by jog nucleation in the grain interiors. Upon arrest by a grain boundary, the twin may either produce continuous plastic strain across the grain boundary by activating compatible twinning/slip systems or result in intergranular failure in the absence of compatible twinning/slip systems in the neighboring grain. Multiple twinning systems can be activated in the same grain, and the competition between them favors those capable of producing continuous deformation across the grain boundary.     

Properties and deformation behaviour of Mg–Y2O3 nanocomposites

Composites of Mg reinforced with 0.5, 1 and 2 vol.% of nanosized Y₂O₃ particles were fabricated using the disintegrated melt deposition technique. The nanocomposites were found to be thermally more stable than monolithic pure Mg and the tensile yield strength increased by 29% with the addition of 2 vol.% of Y₂O₃ nanoparticles. The yield strength improvement was attributed to (i) load-bearing effects due to the presence of nanosized reinforcements, (ii) generation of geometrically necessary dislocations to accommodate CTE mismatch between the matrix and the particles, (iii) Orowan strengthening, and (iv) the Hall–Petch effect due to grain size refinement. Basal slip and twinning were found to be the main deformation modes during extrusion, while non-basal slip was activated during tensile deformation at room temperature due to the alignment of basal planes along the tensile axis after extrusion.     

Structure of martensite in Ti-rich Ti–Ni–Cu thin films annealed at different temperatures

After annealing at different temperatures, there are different types of precipitates in Ti-rich Ti–Ni–Cu thin films: plate-like Guinier–Preston (GP) zones, Ti₂Cu precipitates and spherical Ti₂Ni precipitates. The (0 1 1) compound twins and (1 1 1) type I twins are dominant in Ti-rich Ti–Ni–Cu thin films annealed at different temperatures, which suggests that the precipitates do not change the twinning modes of the B19 martensite. However, the amount of the (0 1 1) compound twin increases with increasing annealing temperature due to its small twinning shear. In thin films with GP zones or Ti₂Ni precipitates, the amount of martensite with a single-pair morphology is less than that in thin films without precipitates. And in thin film with Ti₂Cu + Ti₂Ni precipitates, hardly any martensite with a single-pair morphology is observed. For the different types of precipitates at the different annealing temperatures, the obstacle of the precipitates to the growth of the B19 martensite plate also varies. The GP zones slightly hinder the growth in the width of martensite, resulting in wavy twin boundaries at the martensite variant tip. The Ti₂Cu precipitates can change both the width and the direction of the martensite plates. Ti₂Ni precipitates also significantly disturb or impede the growth of the martensite variants. These effects lead to a decrease in the maximum shape recoverable strain with increasing annealing temperature.     

The influences of temperature and microstructure on the tensile properties of a CoCrFeMnNi high-entropy alloy

An equiatomic CoCrFeMnNi high-entropy alloy, which crystallizes in the face-centered cubic (fcc) crystal structure, was produced by arc melting and drop casting. The drop-cast ingots were homogenized, cold rolled and recrystallized to obtain single-phase microstructures with three different grain sizes in the range 4–160 μm. Quasi-static tensile tests at an engineering strain rate of 10^?3 s^?1 were then performed at temperatures between 77 and 1073 K. Yield strength, ultimate tensile strength and elongation to fracture all increased with decreasing temperature. During the initial stages of plasticity (up to ～2% strain), deformation occurs by planar dislocation glide on the normal fcc slip system, {1 1 1}〈1 1 0〉, at all the temperatures and grain sizes investigated. Undissociated 1/2〈1 1 0〉 dislocations were observed, as were numerous stacking faults, which imply the dissociation of several of these dislocations into 1/6〈1 1 2〉 Shockley partials. At later stages (～20% strain), nanoscale deformation twins were observed after interrupted tests at 77 K, but not in specimens tested at room temperature, where plasticity occurred exclusively by the aforementioned dislocations which organized into cells. Deformation twinning, by continually introducing new interfaces and decreasing the mean free path of dislocations during tensile testing (“dynamic Hall–Petch”), produces a high degree of work hardening and a significant increase in the ultimate tensile strength. This increased work hardening prevents the early onset of necking instability and is a reason for the enhanced ductility observed at 77 K. A second reason is that twinning can provide an additional deformation mode to accommodate plasticity. However, twinning cannot explain the increase in yield strength with decreasing temperature in our high-entropy alloy since it was not observed in the early stages of plastic deformation. Since strong temperature dependencies of yield strength are also seen in binary fcc solid solution alloys, it may be an inherent solute effect, which needs further study.     

Microstructure and texture evolution in a twinning-induced-plasticity steel during uniaxial tension

A combination of electron back-scattering diffraction and X-ray diffraction was used to track the evolution of the microstructure and texture of a fully recrystallized Fe–24 Mn–3 Al–2 Si–1 Ni–0.06 C twinning-induced-plasticity steel during interrupted uniaxial tensile testing. Texture measurements returned the characteristic double fibre texture for face-centred cubic materials, with a relatively stronger 〈1 1 1〉 and a weaker 〈1 0 0〉 partial fibre parallel to the tensile axis. The interaction with the stable 〈1 1 1〉 oriented grains results in preferential plastic flow in the unstable 〈1 1 0〉 oriented grains. Consequently, the grains oriented along the 〈1 1 0〉 and 〈1 0 0〉 fibres record the highest and lowest values of intragranular local misorientation, respectively. The viscoplastic self-consistent model was used to simulate the macroscopic stress–strain response as well as track the evolution of bulk crystallographic texture by detailing the contributions of perfect and/or partial slip, twinning and latent hardening. The simulations revealed the dominant role of perfect slip and the limited volume effect of twinning on the texture development. The effects of initial orientation and grain interaction on the overall orientation stability during uniaxial tension showed that while the 〈1 0 0〉 fibre remains stable and does not affect the unstable orientations along the 〈1 1 0〉 fibre, the orientations along the stable 〈1 1 1〉 fibre strongly affect the unstable 〈1 1 0〉 orientations.