Basal slip and twinning in α-titanium single crystals

Single crystals of α-titanium, with small Schmid factors for prismatic slip, have been deformed in tension between 78 and 1120 K. At low temperatures, {1012} twinning has been observed in specimens having the angle between the basal plane and the tensile axis,x _B , close to 90 deg, whereas at intermediate orientations withx _B = 60 deg and 47 deg twinning occurs on the {1121} planes. A critical resolved shear stress law is not obeyed for either twinning mode. First order prismatic slip in the microstrain region appears to be responsible for the nucleation of {1121 twins. Slip is unlikely a pre-requisite for {1012} twinning. Basal slip without interference from twinning is observed in a variety of orientations at temperatures above 500 K. Plastic flow above 900 K may be described by an equation of the form:γ=Aτ ⁿ e^-Q/kT The relative ease of basal and prismatic slip in Ti and Zr is discussed in terms of the hcp ⇆ bcc allotropic transformation.     

The Effect of Nd on the Tension and Compression Deformation Behavior of Extruded Mg-1Mn (wt pct) at Temperatures Between 298 K and 523 K (25 °C and 250 °C)

The tension and compression deformation behavior of extruded magnesium-1 wt pct manganese alloys with nominally 0.3 wt pct (MN10) and 1 wt pct neodymium (MN11) was studied over the temperature range of 298 K to 523 K (25 °C to 250 °C). Nd additions to Mg alloys tend to reduce the strong basal texture exhibited by conventional wrought Mg alloys and this work was intended to study the effect of Nd on the deformation behavior of Mg alloys. In situ tensile and compressive experiments were performed using a scanning electron microscopy, and electron backscatter diffraction was performed both before and after the deformation. A slip trace analysis technique was used to identify the distribution of the deformation systems as a function of strain, and based on this analysis and the texture of the undeformed samples, the critical resolved shear stress ratios between the deformation systems were estimated. In the case of MN11, the deformation behavior under tension at all temperatures was dominated by slip, while in compression, extension twinning was the major deformation mode. In tension at 323 K (50 °C), extension twinning, basal, prismatic 〈a〉, and pyramidal 〈c + a〉 slip were active in MN11. Much less extension twinning was observed at 423 K (150 °C), while basal slip and prismatic 〈a〉 slip were dominant and presented similar relative activities. At 523 K (250 °C), twinning was not observed, and basal slip controlled the deformation. With the reduction of Nd content, less slip deformation and more twinning were observed during the tensile deformation. However, like for MN11, the extent of twinning in MN10 decreased with increasing temperature and basal slip was the primary deformation mode at elevated temperatures. Extension twinning was the major deformation mode under compression for all test temperatures in MN10 and MN11. The tensile strength decreased with increasing temperature for both alloys, where MN10 was slightly stronger than MN11 at 323 K (50 °C), which was expected to be a result of the stronger basal texture exhibited by MN10 due to its lower Nd content. However, MN11 maintained its strength more at elevated temperatures compared with MN10, and this was explained to be a result of the greater Nd content.     

Effect of Nd Additions on Extrusion Texture Development and on Slip Activity in a Mg-Mn Alloy

Two Mg-1 wt pct Mn alloys containing 0.5 wt pct and 1 wt pct Nd have been processed by indirect extrusion at temperatures ranging from 548 K (275 °C) to 633 K (360 °C) and speeds between 2.8 and 11 mm/s. The microstructure and the texture of the extruded bars were analyzed in order to understand the effect of the processing parameters and of the rare-earth (RE) alloying additions on the texture development. Increasing the Nd content results in weak textures in which the predominant orientations are a function of the extrusion conditions. This may be explained by the occurrence of particle pinning of grain boundaries and by the nucleation of grains with a wider range of orientations. Mechanical tests were carried out in tension and in compression in all the processed samples at 10^?3 s^?1 and room temperature. It was found that larger RE amounts give rise to the disappearance of the yield asymmetry and to an anomalously high activity of tensile twinning, especially at the lowest extrusion temperatures. This has been attributed to an increase of the critical resolved shear stress of basal slip due to the presence of Mg₃Nd coherent and semi-coherent intermetallic prismatic plates.     

Deformation behavior of HCP Ti-Al alloy single crystals

Single crystals of Ti-Al alloys containing 1.4, 2.9, 5, and 6.6 pct Al (by weight) were oriented for 〈a〉 slip on either basal or prism planes or loaded parallel along the c-axis to enforce a nonbasal deformation mode. Most of the tests were conducted in compression and at temperatures between 77 and 1000 K. Trace analysis of prepolished surfaces enabled identification of the twin or slip systems primarily responsible for deformation. Increasing the deformation temperature, Al content, or both, acted to inhibit secondary twin and slip systems, thereby increasing the tendency toward strain accommodation by a single slip system having the highest resolved stress. In the crystals oriented for basal slip, transitions from twinning to multiple slip and, finally, to basal slip occurred with increasing temperature in the lower-Al-content alloys, whereas for Ti-6.6 pct Al, only basal slip was observed at all temperatures tested. A comparison of the critically resolved shear stress (CRSS) values for basal and prism slip as a function of Al content shows that prism slip is favored at room temperature in pure Ti, but the stress to activate these two systems becomes essentially equal in the Ti-6.6 pct Al crystals over a wide range of temperatures. Compression tests on crystals oriented so that the load was applied parallel to the c-axis showed extensive twinning in lower Al concentrations and 〈c+a〉 slip at higher Al concentrations, with a mixture of 〈c+a〉 slip and twinning at intermediate compositions. A few tests also were conducted in tension, with the load applied parallel to the c-axis. In these cases, twinning was observed, and the resolved shear for plastic deformation by twinning was much lower that that for 〈c+a〉 slip observed in compression loading. This article is based on a presentation made in the symposium entitled “Defect Properties and Mechanical Behavior of HCP Metals and Alloys” at the TMS Annual Meeting, February 11–15, 2001, in New Orleans, Louisiana, under the auspices of the following ASM committees: Materials Science and Critical Technology Sector, Structural Materials Division, Electronic, Magnetic & Photonic Materials Division, Chemistry & Physics of Materials Committee, Joint Nuclear Materials Committee, and Titanium Committee.     

Deformation behavior of HCP Ti-Al alloy single crystals

Single crystals of Ti-Al alloys containing 1.4, 2.9, 5, and 6.6 pct Al (by weight) were oriented for <a> slip on either basal or prism planes or loaded parallel along the c-axis to enforce a nonbasal deformation mode. Most of the tests were conducted in compression and temperatures between 77 and 1000 K. Trace analysis of prepolished surfaces enabled identification of the twin or slip systems primarily responsible for deformation. Increasing the deformation temperature, Al content, or both, acted to inhibit secondary twin and slip systems, thereby increasing the tendency toward strain accommodation by a single slip system having the highest resolved stress. In the crystals oriented for basal slip transitions from twinning to multiple slip and, finally, to basal slip occurred with increasing temprature in the lower-Al-content alloys, whereas for Ti-6.6 pct Al, only basal slip was observed at all temperatures tested. A comparison of the critically resolved shear stress (CRSS) values for basal and prism slip as a function of Al content shows that prism slip is favored at room temperature in pure Ti, but the stress to activate these two systems becomes essentially equal in the Ti-6.6 pct Al crystals over a wide range of temperatures. Compression tests on crystals oriented so that the load was applied parallel to the c-axis showed extensive twinning in lower Al concentrations and <c+a> slip at higher Al concentrations, with a mixture of <c+a> slip and twinning at intermediate compositions. A few tests also were conducted in tension, with the load applied parallel to the c-axis. In these cases, twinning was observed, and the resolved shear for plastic deformation by twinning was much lower that that, for <c+a> slip observed in compression loading. This article is based on a presentation made in the symposium entitled “Defect Properties and Mechanical Behavior of HCP Metals and Alloys” at the TMS Annual Meeting, February 11–15, 2001, in New Orleans, Louisiana, under the auspices of the following ASM committees: Materials Science and Critical Technology Sector, Structural Materials Division, Electronic, Magnetic & Photonic Materials Division, Chemistry & Physics of Materials Committee, Joint Nuclear Materials Committee, and Titanium Committee.     

Deformation twinning of martensite

Low temperature strength properties, deformation modes, and the transition from slip to twinning were studied in Fe-Ni massive-martensites as a function of martensite structural features. Specimens with block widthsd (mm) from coarse (d ^−1/2 = 1.0) to fine (d ^−1/2 = 6.5) were tensile tested at 4 and 77 K. Twinning was the dominant mode at 4 K at all block sizes. The twin-yield stress (σ _T) increased with decreasing block size:σ _T = σ_iT + k_Td^−1/2 At 77 K the mode changed from twinning to slip atd = 0.05. Slip was less sensitive tod than twinning, withk _T at 4 K twicek _Y at 77 K. The initial twin load-drop stress also increased withd ^−1/2 at 77 K. Twins were thin, banded, undeviated by the substructure, and restricted to specific blocks. The twinning plane was {21l}. Deformation is discussed in terms of the unique massive-martensite substructure as compared with that of other ferrous BCC alloys.     

Effect of equal-channel angular pressing and annealing conditions on the texture,microstructure, and deformability of an MA2-1 alloy

Equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP) of am MA2-1 alloy according to routes A and Bc is used to study the possibility of increasing the low-temperature deformability of the alloy due to grain refinement and a change in its texture. To separate the grain refinement effect from the effect of texture on the deformability of the alloy, samples after ECAP are subjected to recrystallization annealing that provides grain growth to the grain size characteristic of the initial state (IS) of the alloy. Upon ECAP, the average grain size is found to decrease to 2–2.4 μm and the initial sharp axial texture changes substantially (it decomposes into several scattered orientations). The type of orientations and the degree of their scattering depend on the type of ECAP routes. The detected change in the texture is accompanied by an increase in the deformability parameters (normal plastic anisotropy coefficient R, strain-hardening exponent n, relative uniform elongation δ_u) determined upon tensile tests at 20°C for the states of the alloy formed in the IS-4A-4Bc and IS-4Ao-4B_cO sequences. The experimental values of R agree with the values calculated in terms of the Taylor model of plastic deformation in the Bishop-Hill approximation using quantitative texture data in the form of orientation distribution function coefficients with allowance for the activation of prismatic slip, especially for ECAP routes 4B_c and 4B_cO. When the simulation results, the Hall-Petch relation, and the generalized Schmid factors are taken into account, a correlation is detected between the deformability parameter, the Hall-Petch coefficient, and the ratio of the critical shear stresses on prismatic and basal planes.     

A taylor model based description of the proof stress of magnesium AZ31 during hot working

A series of hot-compression tests and Taylor-model simulations were carried out with the intention of developing a simple expression for the proof stress of magnesium alloy AZ31 during hot working. A crude approximation of wrought textures as a mixture of a single ideal texture component and a random background was employed. The shears carried by each deformation system were calculated using a full-constraint Taylor model for a selection of ideal orientations as well as for random textures. These shears, in combination with the measured proof stresses, were employed to estimate the critical resolved shear stresses for basal slip, prismatic slip, 〈c+a〉 second-order pyramidal slip, and { } twinning. The model thus established provides a semianalytical estimation of the proof stress (a one-off Taylor simulation is required) and also indicates whether or not twinning is expected. The approach is valid for temperatures between ∼150 °C and ∼450 °C, depending on the texture, strain rate, and strain path.     

Mechanisms of creep deformation in Mg-Sc-based alloys

Binary Mg-Sc alloys show only a very weak age-hardening response due to the low diffusivity of Sc in Mg and exhibit inferior creep resistance compared to WE alloys. The addition of a small amount of Mn (<1.5 wt pct) improves their creep behavior markedly, decreasing the minimum creep rates by up to about two orders of magnitude at temperatures above 300 °C compared to WE alloys. This is due to the precipitation of fine Mn₂Sc phase basal discs, which are very effective obstacles in controlling creep at temperatures at which cross-slip of basal dislocations and nonbasal slip are the rate controlling mechanisms. The addition of Ce improves the creep resistance even more due to the effect of the grain boundary eutectic. The effect of Mn₂Sc discs can still be seen in alloys with a low Sc content (∼1 wt pct) and with the addition of rare earth (RE) elements (Gd, Y, Ce ∼4 wt pct). Very thin hexagonal plates containing RE and Mn, which lie parallel to the basal plane of the Mg matrix, augment the effect of the Mn₂Sc precipitates at elevated temperatures (∼250 °C). The triangular arrangement of prismatic plates of metastable or stable phases of Mg-RE systems controls effectively the motion of basal dislocations during the creep of these alloys at elevated or high temperatures. The combined control of basal slip, cross-slip of basal dislocations, and of nonbasal slip in low Sc content alloys ensures minimum creep rates of about one order of magnitude lower than those observed in WE alloys, both at elevated and high temperatures. This article is based on a presentation made in the symposium entitled “Phase Transformations and Deformation in Magnesium Alloys,” which occurred during the Spring TMS meeting, March 14–17, 2004, in Charlotte, NC, under the auspices of ASM-MSCTS Phase Transformations Committee.     

The development of the deformation texture in zirconium during rolling in sequential passes

Slip and twinning systems activated by rolling in sequential passes were observed on a coarse grained zirconium polycrystal. At least five independent deformation modes are activated; slip and twinning systems occur simultaneously. For low degrees of deforma-tion the main slip system is prism slip , even when the orientation is not favorable. The lattice rotations caused by slip proceed gradually with increasing defor-mation; they are relatively small although the strain achieved can be large. On the other hand, twinning causes spontaneous, large-scale lattice rotations, even for low degrees of deformation. The type of twinning depends largely on the crystallographic orientation of the matrix. For basal pole orientations of the undeformed grains in the area 0 to 50 deg from the normal direction twinning becomes preferentially operative. For basal pole orientations of the undeformed grains in the area 50 to 90 deg from the normal direction, however, twinning becomes preferentially operative. In both orientation areas as a complementary system twinning is operative. For all deformation sys-tems their operation is independent of the azimutal position of the basal pole in these areas. The lattice rotations alter the orientation of the crystallites in such a way that the basal poles all become aligned more or less in the direction of the deforming compres-sive force. For higher degrees of deformation pyramidal slip with a (c + a) type Burgers Vector can explain why this preferred orientation is maintained as final position, which for zirconium shows a split of basal poles of ±30 to 50 deg towards the transverse direc-tion. The method of following the complicated interactions between different slip and twinning systems in a stepwise deformed, coarse grained sheet by 1) trace analysis of the deformation modes, 2) by correspondingly derived lattice rotations, and 3) by texture measurements leads to an explanation of the texture development in zirconium. It is dis-cussed on the basis of basal pole rotations.