Papers by Author: Terence G. Langdon

Abstract: At temperatures of 290 K and 77 K, the phase composition and mechanical properties ofnonequiatomic medium-entropy (MEA) alloys Fe40Mn40Co10Cr10 and Fe50Mn30Co10Cr10 werecompared in the coarse-grained (CG) and nanostructured (NS) states, in which additionaldeformation mechanisms are activated under load: phase transformations in the MEAFe50Mn30Co10Cr10 (MEA TRIP) and twinning in the MEA Fe40Mn40Co10Cr10 alloy (MEA TWIP). Itis shown that in the NS state in both alloys, in contrast to the CG state, a complete phase transitionfrom the fcc to the hcp phase is observed, the content of which weakly depends on the temperatureand the number of torsion revolutions during high-pressure torsion (HPT). The transition from theCG to the NS state leads to an increase in the microhardness (in the NS MEA TWIP by 3.7 and inthe NS MEA TRIP by 2.25). In the CG state, a thermally activated character of plastic deformationis observed for both alloys in the temperature range of 290 – 77 K. In the NS state, MEA TWIPremains plastic under active compression deformation at 290 K and 77 K, whereas in NS MEATRIP under similar conditions, macroscopic plasticity is absent. Tensile deformation up to 50 % at30 K in the CG state for both alloys leads to a significant decrease in the absolute values of Young'smodulus over the entire temperature range.

Abstract: The microhardness of CoCrFeNiMnV_x (х = 0-2) high-entropy alloys (HEAs) was measured in the temperature range 77-293 K. At x ≤ 0.4, a significant monotonic increase in microhardness occurs with decreasing temperature, which indicates the thermally-activated character of plastic deformation of the material under the indenter. At x = 0.5, as well as at x = 0.75 and 0.85, athermal behavior of microhardness was detected in the ranges of 200-293 K and 150-293 K, respectively. The latter is apparently associated with the appearance in the indicated alloys, along with the FCC phase, of precipitates of the hard intermetallic sigma phase, which are athermal obstacles to the motion of dislocations. For the first time the microhardness of the sigma phase in the range of 77-293 K was measured; at 293 K and 77 K it was about 9.5 GPa and 12.5 GPa, respectively, which is approximately 5 times higher than the microhardness of the FCC alloy with x = 0.25.

Abstract: It is now well established that the grain size is the fundamental microstructural feature of all polycrystalline materials. In practice, a very wide range of grain sizes will be needed in order to fully evaluate the effect of grain size on the mechanical properties of metals. For many years this was a significant limitation because it was not possible to use conventional thermomechanical processing to produce materials with submicrometer or nanometer grain sizes. Recently, this problem has been addressed by developing alternative processing techniques based on the application of severe plastic deformation. This overview demonstrates that, although the flow stress increases with decreasing grain size at low temperatures and decreases with decreasing grain size at high temperatures, this clear dichotomy in behavior may be adequately explained by using a single theoretical flow mechanism based on the occurrence of grain boundary sliding.

Abstract: The occurrence of superplastic flow in metals has a long history but it is only over the last three or four decades that it was recognized that this process provides an opportunity for fabricating complex parts, especially curved panels, that may be used in a wide range of industrial applications. In practice, this use is dependent upon the high strain rate sensitivity of ~0.5 which is an inherent feature of true superplastic flow but in practice excellent forming may be achieved also through the use of metals deforming within the range of dislocation glide where the strain rate sensitivity is close to 0.3. New possibilities have arisen over the last two decades with the demonstrations that exceptionally refined microstructures, usually within the submicrometer or even the nanometer range, may be prepared from a wide range of commercial alloys through the application of severe plastic deformation in which the material is subjected to a very high strain without any significant changes in the overall dimensions of the sample. This presentation examines these historical developments and describes the new processing procedures that provide new opportunities within the field of superplastic forming.

Abstract: High-entropy alloys (HEAs) are currently attracting much interest because they offer unique properties and good ductility at low temperatures. These materials are of interest primarily because they contain five or more principal elements, with each element having a concentration between 5 and 35 at. %, and yet they have very simple structures based on solid solution phases. Superplasticity is defined formally as a tensile elongation without failure of at least 400% and very recent experiments have shown that the HEAs also have a potential for exhibiting superplastic ductilities when testing at elevated temperatures. Since superplasticity requires a very small grain size, typically <10 μm, it is feasible to process HEAs using severe plastic deformation in order to introduce significant grain refinement. The objective of this review is to summarize the recent results showing superplasticity in HEAs and to compare directly the superplastic flow in HEAs and superplasticity in conventional metallic alloys.

Abstract: The high-pressure torsion processing technique was used to consolidate and process magnesium-based chips. Chips were prepared by machining commercially pure magnesium and a magnesium alloy AZ91 separately. Optical microscopy and microhardness measurements showed good consolidation of pure magnesium. The magnesium alloy continued to exhibit the boundaries between the chips even after 5 turns of HPT suggesting poor bonding. The results show that soft chips are easier to consolidate through HPT than harder alloys.

Abstract: Bulk ultrafine-grained (UFG) materials usually show superior mechanical and physical properties. The development of micro-mechanical behavior is observed after significant changes in microstructure through high-pressure torsion (HPT) processing. This report summarizes recent results on the evolution of small-scale mechanical response examined by the nanoindentation technique on two UFG materials including a high-entropy alloy and an Al-Mg metal matrix nanocomposite processed by HPT. Special emphasis is placed on demonstrating the interrelationship of essential microstructural changes with increasing torsional strain and applying a post-deformation annealing treatment and the evolution of the micro-mechanical behavior in these UFG materials by estimating the strain rate sensitivity.

Abstract: Already for fifteen years many researchers have been trying to discover metallic materials with unusual combinations of strength and ductility: with high strength and enhanced ductility. This combination may be achieved through different ways: alloying, nanostructuring, etc. This report is an attempt to analyze the influence of inhomogeneity of different types (structural, phase and space) on mechanical properties of commercially pure titanium (bulk and powder) subjected to high-pressure torsion. Experimental results for HPT bulk and powder titanium have demonstrated that mechanical behavior of CP titanium strongly depends on phase inhomogeneity (alpha + omega phases), structural inhomogeneity (bimodal grain size distribution) and space inhomogeneity (retained porosity) in case of cold consolidated Ti powder. High strength in HPT bulk titanium due to the formation of hard omega phase during HPT processing at room temperature was detected. The strong omega phase transforms back to nanograined alpha phase domains during short annealing at elevated temperature. HPT consolidation of titanium powder leads to the formation of brittle specimens showing high strength but almost zero plasticity.

Abstract: The mechanical behavior of an AZ31 magnesium alloy processed by high-pressure torsion (HPT) was evaluated by tensile testing from room temperature up to 473 K at strain rates between 10^-5 – 10^-2 s^-1. Samples tested at room temperature and at high strain rates at 373 K failed without any plastic deformation. However, significant ductility, with elongations larger than 200%, was observed at 423 K and 473 K and at low strain rates at 373 K. The high elongations are attributed to a pronounced strain hardening and a high strain rate sensitivity. The results agree with reports for a similar alloy processed by severe plastic deformation. However, the level of flow stress is lower and the strain rate sensitivity and the elongations are larger than observed in this alloy processed by conventional thermo-mechanical processing.

Abstract: Ti-6Al-4V alloy was heated to above the β phase transformation temperature with two different cooling speeds: air cooling and furnace cooling, in order to generate a full thin lamellar structure and a fully coarse lamellar structure, respectively. Then the alloy in two heat-treated conditions was processed at room temperature up to 10 turns by high-pressure torsion (HPT) processing. Investigations were carried out to study the effect of the different initial lamellar plate thicknesses on the microstructure development during HPT processing, and the corresponding superplastic behaviour at the selected low testing temperatures of 773 - 923 K.