Stress relaxation and viscosity of a bulk Pd<Subscript>40</Subscript>Cu<Subscript>30</Subscript>Ni<Subscript>10</Subscript>P<Subscript>20</Subscript> metallic glass under isochronous heating conditions

Isochronous relaxation of tensile stresses is measured in a bulk Pd₄₀Cu₃₀Ni₁₀P₂₀ metallic glass in the initial state and after certain thermal treatments. The results of measurements are used to find the energy spectrum of irreversible structural relaxation, from which the temperature dependence of shear viscosity is then calculated. This dependence is also found independently from measurements of creep in the same glass. The calculated viscosity is shown to agree well with the experimental data.     

Threshold character of the magnetoplastic effect in twinning of bismuth crystals

It is found that, when a bismuth crystal is subjected simultaneously to concentrated loading and a dc magnetic field, the magnetoplastic effect manifests itself as an abrupt decrease in the average length of wedge twins on the (111) cleavage plane (and, hence, as a decrease in the total twinned volume of the crystal) as a threshold value of the magnetic field is reached. However, the magnetic field stimulates glide deformation, which is indicated by an increase in the size of dislocation rosettes. The microhardness of a crystal varies smoothly and tends to increase with increasing magnetic field. The last phenomenon is accounted for by hardening of the crystal under the indenter in the presence of a magnetic field, because several slip systems become operative.     

Chain decay of low-angle tilt boundaries in nanocrystalline materials

In terms of two-dimensional dislocation-disclination dynamics, a theoretical model is developed to describe the decay of a low-angle tilt boundary in a deformed nanocrystalline material under the action of an externally applied elastic stress and of the elastic field of a neighboring decayed boundary. The critical external stresses are calculated at which the boundary decays and the dislocations making up this boundary either are trapped by the boundary that decayed earlier or break away from both boundaries. The decay of a low-angle tilt boundary is shown to result in a substantial decrease in the critical decay stresses for the neighboring boundaries, which can cause an avalanche-like chain decay of low-angle boundaries yielding high-density ensembles of mobile dislocations capable of carrying substantial plastic deformations and of forming shear bands in deformed nanocrystalline materials.     

Structure and properties of TiC-TiNi composites alloyed with iron

The structure, composition, and mechanical properties of iron-alloyed TiC-TiNi composite materials are studied. When the titanium carbide framework is sintered with iron and then impregnated with titanium nickelide, iron atoms are found to diffuse into the matrix and form the B2 structure that is inhomogeneous (gradient) in chemical composition and properties and exhibits various temperatures of martensitic transformation. The latter fact shows up in the broadening of the martensitic transformation hysteresis and its shift toward low temperatures with increasing iron content. At room temperature, the strength properties of gradient-matrix TiC-TiNi composites are shown to increase with iron concentration.     

Magnetic Properties of Iron-Based Amorphous Metal Wires

It has been studied how the conditions of machining and the elastic tensile stresses affect the magnetic properties of amorphous metal wires of composition Fe₇₅Si₁₀B₁₅ produced by drawing from a melt. The magnetic characteristics of wires subjected to both thermal treatment and treatment with a continuous electric current of different magnitude have been investigated. The residual induction of wires is their magnetic parameter most sensitive to the conditions of treatment. The dependences of the residual induction on temperature and on the magnitude of the treating electric current are qualitatively similar. The greatest changes in residual induction are observed in the range of treating electric currents from 0.5 to 0.8 A, which can be associated with the processes of structural relaxation and crystallization occurring in the wires. The run of the dependence of the residual induction on the magnitude of tensile stresses is nonmonotonic in character and is determined by the level of internal hardening stresses of the test wires.