Papers by Keyword: Polycrystal

Abstract: The aeronautic and automotive industries have shown a renewed interest in TiAl based alloys. The main reasons for such an interest are their low density (~3,8g/cm3), a good stiffness and a high strength for temperatures up to 750°C. However, these alloys exhibit, in their polycrystalline form, a poor ductility at room temperature with widely scattered values. The aim of this study is therefore to characterise their mechanical behaviour with a multiscale methodology, coupling microstructure analysis and strain field measurements. This methodology employs orientation imaging microscopy as well as digital imaging correlation techniques with an intragranular step size of a few micrometers. Two chemical compositions (47 at. % Al and 48 at. % Al) and two processing routes (casting and powder metallurgy) are studied. Thus, four different types of final microstructures are considered, from fully lamellar Ti3Al (a2) + TiAl (g) microstructure to bimodal ones composed of two-phase (a2+g) lamellar grains and monolithic g grains. Firstly, the microstructure is characterised crystallographically and morphologically. This allows the identification of a representative volume element (RVE) inside the analysed volume. Then, uniaxial mechanical tests are performed for each microstructure, and the strain fields are analysed with a multiscale approach, which determines the spatial distribution of the strain field heterogeneity with respect to the different microstructures.

Abstract: A CPFE model was used for an assessment of the assumptions used by the ALAMEL model concerning grain interactions. A finite element mesh was constructed for a multicrystal consisting of four grains. There were 17496 integration points per grain. The main goal was to capture the complex nature of the plastic fields in the vicinity of the grain boundaries. The distribution of strain rates, both along and perpendicular to the grain boundaries, confirms that the basic assumptions of the ALAMEL model are qualitatively correct, except at triple junctions. Splitting of one of the grains was occasionally observed, which has also been observed experimentally.

Abstract: Thermal properties of SiC at the micrometer-scale were measured quantitatively with a thermal microscope using thermo-reflectance and periodic heating techniques. In this study, SiC single crystal and polycrystal were investigated. The small values of standard deviation suggest that the SiC single crystal had constant thermal conductivities. For the single crystal, the average value of the thermal conductivity at the micrometer-scale was in good agreement with the macro-scale thermal conductivity value obtained by the laser flash technique. On the other hand, thermal conductivity of the polycrystal was heterogeneous at the micrometer-scale. An average thermal conductivity value of 257 Wm-1K-1 was obtained within an area of 50 m ×100 µm. The highest and lowest values of the thermal conductivity from the polycrystal were 300 and 220 Wm-1K-1, respectively.

Abstract: In the present work, rapidly solidified alloys strips with Al-0.24Ti and Al-21Si-0.24Ti(in wt.%) were prepared by single roller melt-spinning method. The microstructures, phase and morphology characteristics of the resultant strips were characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM),transmission electric microscopy (TEM) and XRD technique. The results show that the grains have been refined after rapid solidification processing, and the micro-nanocrystalline grain are formed. The morphology characteristics can be changed. The microstructures of Al-0.24Ti alloys strip are micro-nanostructure α-Al solid solutions which are similar with granular or nodular, the corresponding SAD pattern is rings, it presents characteristic of polycrystal; Compared with equilibrium solidification, the microstructures of hypereutectic Al-Si alloy are changed obviously. They are composed of primary micro-nanostructure α-Al supersaturated solid solution and nanocrystal granular (α+Si) eutectic which set in the supersaturated solid solution. The nucleation and growth of primary silicon are suppressed and primary silicon can not precipitate, meanwhile, α-Al phase is nucleated which prior to eutectic, therefore the microstructures become into the metastable state. The mechanism of the formation for microstructures of melt-spinning alloys has also been discussed.

Abstract: A traditional approach to increasing fatigue resistance of many assemblies involves the creation of regions of compressive residual stress. For example, riveting holes used in modern passenger aircraft are currently subjected to cold expansion using split mandrel tools. The method is relatively expensive and not entirely problem-free. In the present study we consider a method of creating residual stresses around drilled holes referred to as ‘dimpling’, that itself is a variation of a novel technique known as the StressWaveTM process. An experimental procedure is described for the creation of localised regions of significant plastic deformation and residual stress by ‘dimpling’, allowing the production of cold-worked and residually-stressed specimens. The overall aims of this study were to determine thickness-average residual stresses by two different techniques, namely, one destructive technique (Sachs boring) and one non-destructive (high energy X-ray diffraction); and to compare the results. In Sachs boring experiments the variation of strain gauge readings with increasing diameter of the central hole was recorded. A classical elastic-ideally plastic axisymmetric model for plane stress conditions was used in the analysis. Energy dispersive synchrotron X-ray diffraction experiments were performed for non-destructive assessment of residual elastic strains. The two different stress evaluation techniques used in this project led to consistent results. Good correlation was found between the stresses obtained from X-ray diffraction results and those deduced from Sachs boring experiments.

Abstract: Most models based on continuum mechanics do not account for inhomogeneities at the micro-scale. This can be achieved by considering a representative volume of material and using (poly)crystal elasto-plastic deformation theory to model the effects of grain morphology and crystallographic orientation. In this way, the relationship between the macroscopic stress state and the stress state at the grain level can be investigated in detail. In addition, this approach enables the determination of the inhomogeneous fields of plastic strain, the identification of regions of localised plasticity (persistent slip bands), grain level shakedown, and the prediction of fatigue crack initiation using energy dissipation at the micro-scale. Elastic anisotropy is known to promote earlier onset of yielding, and to increase the magnitude of intergranular residual stresses. The effect of hardening behaviour of different slip systems on intergranular residual stresses is more subtle, as discussed in the text. The present study focuses on the analysis average intergranular residual strains and stresses that arise within the polycrystal aggregate following the application of single or cyclic external loading. These residual strains can also be evaluated experimentally using diffraction of penetrating radiation, e.g. neutrons or high energy X-rays, allowing comparisons with the model predictions to be made.

Abstract: The sin2ψ technique for near-surface and bulk stress evaluation is frequently considered to be the method of reference, largely due to the historical reason of being established early on in the development of experimental study of residual stress, and due to the widespread availability of laboratory X-ray facilities equipped with goniometers allowing ψ-tilting to be carried out. In recent years other diffraction-based techniques of residual strain and residual stress evaluation have been developed, some of them based at large facilities such as synchrotrons, neutron reactors or spallation sources, and others becoming available in the laboratory setting. It is therefore perhaps relevant and timely to review the strengths and shortcomings of the sin2ψ technique in today’s context. In the present study this task is addressed through the use of polycrystal elasto-plastic modelling that allows the determination of equivalent average elastic lattice strains following complex deformation history, and by post-processing of the model results in order to extract the parameters measurable in diffraction experiments. In particular, it is possible to extract the simulated strain values that would be measured at different tilt angles, and to build a family of sin2ψ plots for different reflections. It then becomes possible to assess the degree to which the hypotheses underpinning the principle of this method are enforced or violated; to select the most suitable reflections; and to discuss how the method could be improved or varied to provide more reliable residual stress measurement procedures.

Abstract: The effect of heat treatment in superalloy CM247LC on tensile properties at various temperatures has been investigated. In the case of equiaxed poly-crystal specimen, the aged condition (HTA condition) has higher strength than the solution treated and aged condition (HTSA condition) at low temperature. The HTSA condition exhibits higher strength than HTA condition in directionally solidified specimen in all temperature range. Shearing of γ´ particle is a principal deformation process at the low temperature, and cutting of fine secondary γ´ particle plays important role in the early stage of deformation in the HTA poly-crystal specimen. Tangles of short misfit dislocations form at the γ/γ´ interface during the high temperature deformation due to the partial loss of coherency at the interface. The rafting of γ´ increases tensile strength of the HTSA specimen at and above 871°C.

Abstract: A multiscale model on dislocation patterning of cell structure and subgrain for polycrystal is newly developed on the basis of reaction-diffusion theory. A FD simulation for dislocation patterning and a FE one for crystal deformation are simultaneously carried out for a FCC polycrystal at large strain. Reflecting stress value on stress-effect coefficients, it is numerically predicted that the evolution of dislocation pattern in a polycrystal is different in response to the stress condition of each grain.

Abstract: One common point amongst extant theories of abnormal grain growth (AGG) is that they treat this phenomenon in terms of the relative grain size, or grain radius, of the abnormal grains. Topological and metrical quantities of abnormal grains, such as the number of their faces, or their grain boundary curvature, are taken into account only indirectly through the grain size itself. This paper, by contrast, treats AGG in terms of concepts, that include both the boundary curvature and the number of faces of the abnormal grain. Two cases are examined: 1) AGG, in which the matrix grains are fully pinned, so normal grain growth cannot occur; 2) AGG in which the matrix grains are free to evolve, so that normal grain growth ensues simultaneously in the matrix.