Papers by Keyword: Twin Boundary

Abstract: Dynamics and statics of defects interaction among crack, dislocations and twin boundary (TB) observed in magnesium were investigated using molecular dynamics and elasticity with the complex stress functions to clarify the effect of long-range elastic stress field. An atomic model containing a crack parallel to (10-11) TB was gradually elongated under K_I-mode tension by molecular dynamics simulations. Changing the distance between the crack and the TB, four kinds of crack propagation manners were observed, one of which showed the path transition from the crack to the TB itself by shielding effect of piled-up dislocations around the crack tip. The stress intensity factor of the nanosized crack in bulk is 0.28 MPam^1/2, which is smaller than that of crack on the TB. The shielding effect due to the piled-up dislocations drastically decreases stress concentration around the crack tip and the stress intensity factor diminishes down to the 0.22, and thus the crack nucleated from the void nucleation and coalescence on the TB was propagated instead. The elastic stress distributions obtained by the superposition of some complex stress functions suggest that the stress field around the crack tip is disturbed by the localized stress due to the TB in the case of crack closest to TB and also by the back stress due to the piled-up dislocations in the case of crack far from TB.

Abstract: Magnetic shape memory effect is general name for several effects in which the most visible feature is huge strain induced by magnetic field. Magnetic field-induced structure reorientation (MIR) occurs due to motion of twin boundaries in single phase. As the magnetic field is a relatively weak force compared with mechanical stress, very high mobility of twin boundaries is crucial. Here we study the properties of martensite relevant for this effect using X-ray diffraction, optical and electron microscopy, magnetic observation and mechanical testing. In 10M modulated martensite, two types of mobile twin boundary (type I and type II) are observed with complex layered microstructures consisting of a hierarchy of twinning systems. We search for analogue with non-magnetic Cu-Ni-Al shape memory alloy.

Abstract: The presented paper describes X-ray diffraction study of Ni-Mn-Ga modulated martensite single crystal. A standard powder laboratory diffractometer equipped with texture cradle and monocapillary was found to be suitable and sufficient tool for this type of studies. Three different scans were performed to unambiguously identify the martensitic twin variants at selected place. From this identification and with the help of theoretical calculation full description of martensitic microstructure can be determined. In addition the effect of sample displacement on beam position on sample was derived.

Abstract: In this paper, a constitutive description of the true stress-strain behaviors of nano-twinned metals has been proposed. The size effects of nano-scale twin boundaries (TBs) and ultra-fine grain boundaries (GBs) are considered in the athermal stress. The evolution of the dislocation density with strain under the influence of strain rate and temperature is introduced in the thermal stress based on our previous meso-scale constitutive model. The new model can effectively describe the strength transition regime in nano-twinned metals. The proposed model’s predictions of true stress-strain relation curves for nano-twinned copper are compared with the experimental results of uniaxial tension tests for validation. The comparisons show that the previous models in literature for the dependence of initial yield strength on twin spacing cannot describe the experimental data correctly when the twin spacing tends to zero; however, the phenomenological model proposed in this paper for the twin spacing depending relation is theoretically rational and can well describe the experimental data in the whole range of twin spacing.

Abstract: A combination of electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and focused ion beam (FIB) techniques were used to obtain 3D EBSD data in an investigation of dynamic recrystallization in a Cu-2%Sn bronze alloy. The results of this investigation show the origin of the nucleation sites for dynamic recrystallization and also elucidates the orientation relationship of the recrystallized grains to the deformed, prior grains and between the dynamically recrystallized grains.

Abstract: In this work we report on the study of twin boundary (TB) evolution during heteroepitaxial growth of 3C-SiC on patterned 4H-SiC(0001) substrate by vapour-liquid-solid (VLS) mechanism. Ge₅₀Si₅₀ melt was used at a temperature of 1450°C. 3C-SiC deposit was obtained on top and outside the mesas. Some lateral enlargement of these mesas was observed but it was systematically homoepitaxial. Elimination of TBs inside the 3C-SiC deposit on top of the mesas was observed for specific mesa shape and/or orientation of the sidewalls. Though three–fold or six-fold symmetry mesas are recommended for TB elimination, originally circular mesas lead also to the same result due to initial faceting toward hexagonal shape.

Abstract: This paper deals with the formation and propagation of twin boundaries (TBs) inside 3C-SiC layers grown heteroepitaxially on -SiC substrate. The equivalent probability of nucleating 60° rotated 3C islands on such substrate lead to the systematic formation of TB upon coalescence of these islands. Elimination of these defects should occur by bending of the propagation direction. Bending through incoherent TBs is usually encountered during both VLS and CVD growth and it generates crystalline defects due to high built-in energy. One would prefer coherent TBs, formed by two-by-two annihilation of neighbouring TBs, which do not form new defect except microtwin inclusion at the interface. Such TB annihilation seems to be a specificity of growth by VLS mechanism. The mechanism of such bending is discussed

Abstract: A nanostructured surface layer with a gradient microstructure was produced on a Cu plate by means of the surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT). Diffusion of Ni in the nanostructured layer was investigated by the radiotracer technique at temperatures from 383 to 438 K. The measured diffusion profiles consist of two distinct sections with different slopes, the steep one corresponding to the top surface layer with the grain size of 10 to 25 nm and the shallow one corresponding to a subsurface layer with a grain size of 25 to 100 nm. The effective diffusivities derived from both sections are more than 2 orders of magnitudes higher than the grain boundary diffusivities in coarse-grained Cu. The significantly accelerated diffusion rates are expected to be associated with the “non-equilibrium” states of interfaces in the nanostructured surface layer induced by SMAT. The difference between the diffusivities in the top and sub- surface layer might result from the fact that most interfaces developed from twin boundaries in the former while produced by dislocation activities in the latter.

Abstract: The presence of twins in ZnO varistors raises interesting questions concerning the potential role of those electrically distinctive twin boundaries in the characteristics of ZnO varistors. The paper uses Voronoi networks to simulate the microstructures of ZnO varistors. The relation between the relative standard deviation of grain size and the ratio of twin number to grain number is obtained. It indicates that the relative standard deviation decreases with the increasing of the twin ratio. On the other hand, ZnO varistor samples with different content of Al2O3 additive were prepared to gain different twin ratios. The simulation has the same conclusion as that obtained from experiments. The probable mechanism of ZnO grain growth inhibition by twins is that the twins increase the mobility viscosity of ZnO grains and grain boundaries, and drag ZnO grains and liquid grain boundaries during the sintering course, then the grain growth is inhibited, and the microstructure becomes more uniform.

Abstract: The fatigue properties of ferritic stainless steel containing deformation twins were investigated. Monotonic tensile tests and push-pull fatigue tests were conducted on the specimens both with and without twins. Fatigue lives of the twinned specimens were about four times shorter than those without the deformation twins, although yield stresses of both specimens were almost equal. It was found that the fatigue cracking along the deformation twin boundaries caused the reduction in fatigue life. Dislocation structure observation using the ECCI method revealed that no specific dislocation structure was formed near the cracked deformation twin boundary, although the ladder-like PSB structure was developed along an annealing twin boundary in an austenitic stainless steel.