Topological dislocation-type defects and mechanisms of plasticity and failure of nanostructured and amorphous materials

Possible mechanisms of plastic deformation and failure of nanostructured and cluster amorphous materials have been considered. It is shown that the most probable carriers of plastic deformation in these materials are macrodislocations—linear topological defects of the regular nanocrystallite packing in the nanostructure or cluster packing in amorphous materials. Continuum models are proposed to describe the processes of plastic deformation and failure of nanostructured and cluster amorphous materials. Original Russian Text ? L.S. Vasil’ev, S.F. Lomaeva, 2009, published in Izvestiya Rossiiskoi Akademii Nauk. Seriya Fizicheskaya, 2009, Vol. 73, No. 1, pp. 128–131.     

Plastic deformation transfer through the amorphous intercrystallite phase in nanoceramics

A three-dimensional model is proposed for plastic deformation transfer through the amorphous intercrystallite phase in mechanically loaded nanoceramics. In this model, glide dislocation loops are pressed against amorphous intercrystallite boundaries by the applied local shear stress and initiate in them local longitudinal plastic shears, which causes emission of new glide dislocation loops into neighboring grains. The energy characteristics of these processes and the critical applied stress required for barrierless nucleation of grainboundary and intragrain loops are calculated. As an example, a nanoceramic based on cubic silicon carbide is considered. It is shown that plastic deformation transfer through the amorphous intercrystallite phase in such nanoceramics is energetically favorable and can occur athermically over wide ranges of values of the applied stress and the structural characteristics of the material.     

Nonlinear dynamics of the spatio-timporal pattern of a macroscopically localized deformation

High-speed video recording has been used in the in situ investigation of the spatio-temporal bands of a macroscopically localized deformation in the unsteady plastic flow of an Al-Mg alloy subjected to a constant stress increase rate. It is shown that the main mechanism of the development of deformation jumps is the cascade multiplication of the Savart-Masson deformation bands. This mechanism is compared to the discontinuous deformation models.     

Physical mesomechanics of grain boundary sliding in a deformable polycrystal

The temperature-rate dependences of strain resistance and the mechanisms of grain boundary sliding in Pb polycrystals and Pb-based alloys under active tension were investigated. The activation energy of plastic deformation and grain boundary sliding was determined. The structural mechanisms of grain boundary sliding were studied in a wide temperature range. The conclusion was made that self-consistency of grain boundary sliding and intragranular plastic flow has its origin in rotational deformation modes, with the grain boundary sliding being a primary process. Theoretical analysis of rotational deformation modes involved in grain boundary sliding was performed. It is shown that the dependence of deforming stress on the polycrystal grain size is impossible to describe by one universal Hall-Petch equation.     

Mechanical heterogeneity of dentin at different length scales as determined by AFM phase contrast

In this study we sought to gain insights of the structural and mechanical heterogeneity of dentin at different length scales. We compared four distinct demineralization protocols with respect to their ability to expose the periodic pattern of dentin collagen. Additionally, we analyzed the phase contrast resulting from AFM images obtained in tapping mode to interrogate the viscoelastic behavior and surface adhesion properties of peritubular and intertubular dentin, and partially demineralized dentin collagen fibrils, particularly with respect to their gap and overlap regions. Results demonstrated that all demineralization protocols exposed the gap and overlap zones of dentin collagen fibrils. Phase contrast analyses suggested that the intertubular dentin, where the organic matrix is concentrated, generated a higher phase contrast due a higher contribution of energy dissipation (damping) than the highly mineralized peritubular region. At increasing amplitudes, viscoelasticity appeared to play a more significant contribution to the phase contrast of the images of collagen fibrils. The overlap region yielded a greater phase contrast than the more elastic gap zones. In summary, our results contribute to the perspective that, at different length scales, dentin is constituted of structural features that retain heterogeneous mechanical properties contributing to overall mechanical performance of the tissue. Furthermore, the interpretation of phase contrast from images generated with AFM tapping mode appears to be an effective tool to gain an improved understanding of the structure and property relationship of biological tissues and biomaterials at the micro- and nano-scale.     

Nucleation of misfit dislocations and plastic deformation in core/shell nanowires

During fabrication of metal nanowires, an oxide layer (shell) that surrounds the metal (core) may form. Such an oxide-covered nanowire can be viewed as a cylindrical core/shell nanostructure, possessing a crystal lattice mismatch between the core and shell. Experimental evidence has shown that, in response to this mismatch, mechanical stresses induce plastic deformation in the shell and misfit dislocations nucleate at the core/shell interface. As a result, the mechanical, electrical and optoelectronic properties of the nanowire are affected. It is therefore essential to be able to predict the critical conditions at which misfit dislocation nucleation at the nanowire interface takes place and the critical applied load at which the interface begins deforming plastically. Two approaches are explored in order to analyze the stress relaxation processes in these oxide-covered nanowires: (i) energy considerations are carried out within a classical elasticity framework to predict the critical radii (of the core and shell) at which dislocation nucleation takes place at the nanowire interface; (ii) a strain gradient plasticity approach is applied to estimate the flow stress at which the interface will begin deforming plastically (this stress is termed “interfacial-yield” stress). The interfacial-yield stress, predicted by gradient plasticity, depends, among other material parameters, on the radii of the core and shell. Both approaches demonstrate how the geometric parameters of nanowires can be calibrated so as to avoid undesirable plastic deformation; in particular, method (i) can give the radii values that prevent misfit dislocation formation, whereas method (ii) can provide, for particular radii values, the critical stress at which interface deformation initiates.     

Lattice curvature evolution in metal materials on meso- and nanostructural scales of plastic deformation

The paper generalizes results of electron microscopy studies of structural states with high lattice curvature which arise in a wide class of materials under various conditions of severe plastic deformation: rolling, equal channel angular pressing, mechanical activation in planetary ball mills, and torsion in Bridgman anvils. The states are divided into two types: 1) a substructural state with elastoplastic lattice curvature of tens of degrees per micron due to high density of like-sign excess dislocations; and 2) a state with elastic lattice curvature up to several hundreds of degrees per micron in volumes of several nanometers. Analysis is performed to inquire into the formation of these states, peculiarities of their evolution, and their role in different mechanisms of plastic deformation and formation of nanocrystalline structures.     

Localization of plastic deformation because of self-heating

Conclusion The influence of the heat dissipated by plastic deformation on the mechanical behavior of the crystalline specimen being loaded is examined in this paper. It is shown that the plastic deformation can be localized because of the heat dissipation. The characteristic scales describing the thermal processes in this case depend exponentially on the applied stress. The heat being dissipated contributes, on the one hand, to the formation of a crack of critical size, and on the other hand, the thermoelastic energy being formed during the plastic deformation assists its spontaneous growth.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 7, pp. 78–81, July, 1981.     

Evaluating the effects of loading parameters on single-crystal slip in tantalum using molecular mechanics

This study is aimed at developing a physics-based crystal plasticity finite element model for body-centred cubic (BCC) metals, through the introduction of atomic-level deformation information from molecular dynamics (MD) investigations of dislocation motion at the onset of plastic flow. In this study, three critical variables governing crystal plasticity mediated by dislocation motion are considered. MD simulations are first performed across a range of finite temperatures up to 600K to quantify the temperature dependence of critical stress required for slip initiation. An important feature of slip in BCC metals is that it is not solely dependent on the Schmid law measure of resolved shear stress, commonly employed in crystal plasticity models. The configuration of a screw dislocation and its subsequent motion is studied under different load orientations to quantify these non-Schmid effects. Finally, the influence of strain rates on thermal activation is studied by inducing higher stresses during activation at higher applied strain rates. Functional dependence of the critical resolved shear stress on temperature, loading orientation and strain rate is determined from the MD simulation results. The functional forms are derived from the thermal activation mechanisms that govern the plastic behaviour and quantification of relevant deformation variables. The resulting physics-based rate-dependent crystal plasticity model is implemented in a crystal plasticity finite element code. Uniaxial simulations reveal orientation-dependent tension–compression asymmetry of yield that more accurately represents single-crystal experimental results than standard models.     

Ultrastructural examination of dentin using focused ion-beam cross-sectioning and transmission electron microscopy

Focused ion-beam (FIB) milling is a commonly used technique for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) sample preparation of inorganic materials. In this study, we seek to evaluate the FIB as a TEM preparation tool for human dentin. Two particular problems involving dentin, a structural analog of bone that makes up the bulk of the human tooth, are examined. Firstly, the process of aging is studied through an investigation of the mineralization in ‘transparent’ dentin, which is formed naturally due to the filling up of dentinal tubules with large mineral crystals. Next, the process of fracture is examined to evaluate incipient events that occur at the collagen fiber level. For both these cases, FIB-milling was able to generate high-quality specimens that could be used for subsequent TEM examination. The changes in the mineralization suggested a simple mechanism of mineral ‘dissolution and reprecipitation’, while examination of the collagen revealed incipient damage in the form of voids within the collagen fibers. These studies help shed light on the process of aging and fracture of mineralized tissues and are useful steps in developing a framework for understanding such processes.     

The role of chain length and conformation in stress-transmission and fracture of thermoplastic polymers

In this paper, a review of the molecular aspects of fracture is given, a subject that was pioneered by S. N. Zhurkov and his colleagues. Particular attention will be paid to the mechanisms of stress transfer onto straight chain segments, the role of chain interpenetration in establishing interfacial strength during crack healing, to the concept of taut tie molecules, to stress distribution in UHMWPE fibers, and to the possible role of chain ruptures in the deformation process of fibres. Using Raman microscopy, it is observed that some chains are exposed to stresses of up to 10 GPa, which is close to their estimated strength. From these experiments, a mechanical model of the organization of almost fully oriented UHMWPE fibers is developed accounting also for the presence of numerous and dispersed defects. The principal deformation mechanisms are chain slippage, crystal plasticity, and intra-and intermicrofibrillar slippage.     

A composite model of the plastic flow of amorphous covalent materials

A model based on the data available in the literature on the computer simulation of amorphous silicon has been proposed for describing the specific features of the plastic flow of amorphous covalent materials. The mechanism of plastic deformation involves homogeneous nucleation and growth of inclusions of a liquidlike phase under external shear stress. Such inclusions experience plastic shear, which is modeled by glide dislocation loops. The energy changes associated with the nucleation of these inclusions at room and increased temperatures have been calculated. The critical stress has been found, at which the barrierless nucleation of inclusions becomes possible. It has been shown that this stress decreases with an increase in temperature. According to the calculations, the heterogeneous (homogeneous) plastic flow of an amorphous material should be expected at relatively low (high) temperatures. Above the critical stress, the homogeneous flow is gradually replaced by the heterogeneous flow.     

Evolution of substructures under microlevel and mesolevel plastic deformation

The existence of a hierarchy of structural levels of plastic deformation can be considered to be an experimentally and theoretically proven fact [1–3]. Mescheryakov [1] showed that a noncrytallographic level of deformation arises in elastoplastic waves, manifesting itself as macrofluxes of particles of the medium; the velocity of the particles relative to each other at velocity has dispersion and the particles move in the direction of the wave propagation. Displacement of macrofragments of the crystal, which is also a manifestation of noncrystallographic structural levels of deformation, has been detected in highly excited systems [2]. The relaxation approach used increasingly to describe plastic deformation assumes that defects are created, move, and are restructured during deformation in a way so that the level of stresses inside the material drops. The nonuniformity of the stress field gives rise to nonuniform plastic deformation and local shears and rotations at points of stress concentration. These concepts make it possible to use the principles of synergetics to build specific theoretical models and to consider loaded material as a nonequilibrum dissipative structure [3]. To date, however, the construction of the theory describing multilevel plastic deformation processes has not been completed. In particular, it is not yet known what levels are added, depending on the rate and duration of the loading and on how the levels are linked.St. Petersburg Branch of the A. A. Blagonravov Institute of Mechanical Engineering. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 10, pp. 7–12, October, 1992.     

A study of the structure and scattering mechanisms of subterahertz phonons in lithium fluoride single crystals and optical ceramics

The methods of optical, electron, and atomic force microscopy (AFM) are applied to the study of the real structure of optical lithium fluoride ceramic obtained by hot deformation of single crystals. A comparative analysis is carried out of the scattering mechanisms of weakly nonequilibrium thermal phonons at liquid helium temperatures in LiF single crystals and ceramics. It is demonstrated that the phonon scattering in the original single crystals is determined by the forced vibrations of dislocations in the stress field of an elastic plane wave (a phonon), i.e., by the flutter mechanism. As the degree of deformation of the original material increases, the ceramics exhibit a change in the plastic deformation mechanisms, which leads to a decrease in the average size of grains and to an ordered structure. In this case, the dominant scattering is that by intergrain boundaries. The thickness and the acoustic impedance of these boundaries are evaluated.     

Structural and temporal features of high-rate deformation of metals

Dynamic yield stress values predicted within the structural–temporal approach based on the incubation time concept and those found from the empirical Johnson–Cook formula and its known modification are compared with the examples of steel, nickel, and an aluminum alloy subjected to high-rate plastic deformation. It is shown that the structural–temporal approach is an efficient and convenient tool for calculations in a much wider range of deformation rates.     

Influence of the defect and structural state of FCC and BCC metals on the intensity of mechanodynamic penetration of helium atoms

The specific features of the mechanodynamic penetration of helium under plastic deformation into fcc (Cu) and bcc (Fe, Nb) metals with different initial defect structures (single-crystal, nanocrystalline, and porous samples) are investigated. The intensity of mechanodynamic penetration into these metals is shown to depend on the type of bonding (metallic or covalent), which determines the degree of localization of the plastic flow of these metals, as well as on the type of defect structure and on the character of plastic flow (dislocation deformation, twinning, grain-boundary sliding). Curves of helium extraction from samples at different strains are obtained. It is found that the helium release exhibits a wide variety of peaks depending on the degree and character of plastic deformation of the metals under investigation. This suggests that the metals contain different types of helium traps, which determine the content of helium and the specific features of its release in the temperature range studied.     

非晶纤维的制备和力学行为

将块体材料制备成微纳米纤维时,其力学性能会得到进一步的提高,甚至具备块体材料所没有的力学行为.非晶态材料可经过熔体拉丝一次性成型而得到所需尺寸的均匀纤维,纤维表面质量好,其制备过程相对简单且节能.由于非晶材料短程有序、长程无序的结构,具备优异的力学性能,所以非晶纤维有着广泛的应用前景和基础研究价值.本文对能制备成非晶纤维且有优异力学性能的材料做了简单介绍,对非晶纤维的制备方法及其成型物理机制、非晶纤维的力学行为及其物理机制进行了综述,最后总结了非晶纤维的制备和力学行为的研究中存在的问题,对非晶纤维的发展前景做了展望.     

Physics and mechanism of ultrasonic impact

More and more experts and researchers in industry express their interest in the application of deformation effects of various peening techniques on the metal surface. This is primarily due to a relatively simple directional change in condition at the surface and in sub-surface layers of the material as a result of plastic deformation due to impulses of force caused, among other things, by converting ultrasonic oscillations of various impacting elements (indenters) at the treated surface. These effects are of a stochastic nature and their duration (or the time of impact) is generally measured in units of microseconds. To obtain relatively uniform coverage, an operator may use several treatment passes. However, a stochastic nature of single impacts makes it difficult to obtain a uniform distribution of deformations and hence surface characteristics as specified, in particular, by the engineering standards. We have developed the methods and means of implementing the ultrasonic impact and controlling its parameters. A fundamental distinction of the ultrasonic impact is that its duration is measured in the range from hundreds of microseconds to units of milliseconds, while the parameters responsible for the effects upon the surface may be adjusted according to the task. It is important to note that in the frequency range of processing ultrasound of up to 80 kHz this feature of the ultrasonic impact allows utilizing the plastic deformation region as a matched membrane to transmit ultrasonic oscillations and excite ultrasonic stress waves in the material being treated. These phenomena, in turn, initiate highly effective relaxation processes, plastic deformation and, as a result thereof, effects upon the structure and properties of the material, which are adequate to the task. This paper describes the theory and the results of the experimental investigations into the physics of the ultrasonic impact. Also, the mechanism of the ultrasonic impact implementation based on high-power ultrasonic transducers is addressed. The paper is aimed at engineers and researchers in the area of industrial application of high-power ultrasonics.     

Effect of geometrical stress concentrators on the current-induced suppression of the serrated deformation in an aluminum–magnesium AlMg5 alloy

The effect of an electric current on the band formation and the serrated deformation of planar specimens made of an aluminum–magnesium AlMg5 alloy and weakened by holes is experimentally studied. It is found that the concentration of elastic stress fields and the self-localized unstable plastic deformation field near a hole decreases the critical strain of appearance of the first stress drop and hinders the currentinduced suppression of band formation and the serrated Portevin–Le Chatelier deformation. These results are shown not to be related to the concentration of Joule heat near a hole.     

Plastic deformation behaviour of layer-grained silver polycrystalline from atomistic simulation

Two types of nanocrystalline polycrystalline silver models in bulk, film and nanowire forms were constructed with layer-grained or equiaxed grain morphologies and average grain sizes of ~7.8 and ~14.7 nm. Uniaxial tensile deformation was performed to investigate the effect of grain morphology and free surface on the plastic deformation behaviour under the strain rate of 5 × 10⁸ and 10⁷ s^?1 at 0.1 K. Grain Boundary (GB) orientation and dimensions in layer-grained morphology promoted the formation of sessile dislocation structures. Some dislocations interacted with each other and some dislocations got obstructed by stacking faults. However, the resulting configurations did not last long enough to cause strain hardening. Strain softening was observed in all models except for the layer-grained models in bulk form, where steady plastic flow was observed after yield. The location and orientation of free surfaces with respect to GBs imposed geometric constraints on the deformation mechanisms (GB sliding and formation of sessile dislocations) which produced asymmetric stress states that influenced the elastic as well as plastic response of the material. The yield stress and flow stress were much smaller at lower strain rate simulations. The proportion of perfect dislocations increased as the strain rate decreased from 5 × 10⁸ to 10⁷ s^?1 due to the decrease of applied stress. Dislocations were mainly emitted from grain boundaries or triple junctions at both high and low strain rate deformations. These results provided insights into the understanding of layer-grained nanocrystalline materials and the synthesis of materials with both high strength and ductility.