Continuum model for dislocation dynamics in a slip plane

In this paper, we present a continuum model for dislocation dynamics in a slip plane, which accurately incorporates both the long-range interaction and the local line tension effect of dislocations. Unlike the continuum models in the literature using dislocation densities, we use the disregistry across the slip plane to represent the continuous distribution of dislocations in the slip plane, which has the advantage of including the orientation dependence of dislocations in a very simple way. The continuum dislocation dynamics model is validated by linear instability analysis of a uniform dislocation array to small perturbations and comparisons of the results with those of the discrete dislocation dynamics model. Numerical examples for the evolution of distributions of dislocations and plastic slips in a slip plane are presented.     

A comparison of the von Mises and Hencky equivalent strains for use in simple shear experiments

The von Mises equivalent strain increment is derived for the case of large strain simple shear (torsion testing). This is used, in conjunction with the von Mises yield surface, to define the von Mises equivalent stress as well as the incremental work per unit volume. Integration of the equivalent strain increment leads to the definition of the von Mises equivalent strain for torsion. The Hencky equivalent strain increment is derived from the Hencky strain defined as the logarithm of the semi major and minor axes of the strain ellipse. This is then used, via the incremental work, to derive the ‘Hencky equivalent stress’. In the Onaka approach, the numerical values of the principal strain increments were integrated without taking into account the continuous rotation of the strain ellipse. This invalid operation leads to an expression for the equivalent strain increment that cannot be applied to the large strains considered by Onaka. Using the correct increments of the Hencky strain, it is shown that the shear strain increments turn negative and consequently, the incremental work becomes negative when the shear is large.     

Size dependent deformation behaviour and dislocation mechanisms in 〈1 0 0〉 Cu nanowires

Abstract

Molecular dynamics simulations have been performed to understand the size-dependent tensile deformation behaviour of 〈1 0 0〉 Cu nanowires at 10 K. The influence of nanowire size has been examined by varying square cross-section width (d) from 0.723 to 43.38 nm using constant length of 21.69 nm. The results indicated that the yielding in all the nanowires occurs through nucleation of partial dislocations. Following yielding, the plastic deformation in small size nanowires occurs mainly by slip of partial dislocations at all strains, while in large size nanowires, slip of extended dislocations has been observed at high strains in addition to slip of partial dislocations. Further, the variations in dislocation density indicated that the nanowires with d > 3.615 nm exhibit dislocation exhaustion at small strains followed by dislocation starvation at high strains. On the other hand, small size nanowires with d < 3.615 nm displayed mainly dislocation starvation at all strains. The average length of dislocations has been found to be same and nearly constant in all the nanowires. Both the Young’s modulus and yield strength exhibited a rapid decrease at small size nanowires followed by gradual decrease to saturation at larger size. The observed linear increase in ductility with size has been correlated with the pre- and post-necking deformation. Finally, dislocation–dislocation interactions leading to the formation of various dislocation locks, the dislocation–stacking fault interactions resulting in the annihilation of stacking faults and the size dependence of dislocation–surface interactions have been discussed.     

Linking high- and low-temperature plasticity in bulk metallic glasses: thermal activation,extreme value statistics and kinetic freezing

Abstract

At temperatures well below their glass transition, the deformation properties of bulk metallic glasses are characterized by a sharp transition from elasticity to plasticity, a reproducible yield stress and an approximately linear decrease of this stress with increasing temperature. In the present work, it is shown that when the well-known properties of the undercooled liquid regime, in terms of the underlying potential energy landscape, are assumed to be also valid at low temperature, a thermal activation model is able to reproduce the observed onset of macroscopic yield. At these temperatures, the thermal accessibility of the complex potential energy landscape is drastically reduced, and the statistics of extreme value and the phenomenon of kinetic freezing become important, affecting the spatial heterogeneity of the irreversible structural transitions mediating the elastic-to-plastic transition. As the temperature increases and approaches the glass transition temperature, the theory is able to smoothly transit to the high-temperature deformation regime where plasticity is known to be well described by thermally activated viscoplastic models.     

Comment on “A comparison of the von Mises and Hencky equivalent strains for use in simple shear experiments”

Onaka has shown (2010) that the Hencky equivalent strain is the appropriate quantity to represent the degree of severe plastic deformation based on simple-shear deformation. In a recent paper, Shrivastava et al. have criticized (2011) the Onaka paper and stated that the Hencky formulation does not apply to large simple-shear deformation. In this response, it is shown that this claim of Shrivastava et al. is not consistent with recent accepted knowledge on the Hencky strain.     

Elastic–plastic transition in three-dimensional random materials: massively parallel simulations,fractal morphogenesis and scaling functions

Elastic–plastic transitions were investigated in three-dimensional (3D) macroscopically homogeneous materials, with microscale randomness in constitutive properties, subjected to monotonically increasing, macroscopically uniform loadings. The materials are cubic-shaped domains (of up to 100?×?100?×?100 grains), each grain being cubic-shaped, homogeneous, isotropic and exhibiting elastic–plastic hardening with a J ₂ flow rule. The spatial assignment of the grains’ elastic moduli and/or plastic properties is a strict-white-noise random field. Using massively parallel simulations, we find the set of plastic grains to grow in a partially space-filling fractal pattern with the fractal dimension reaching 3, whereby the sharp kink in the stress–strain curve of individual grains is replaced by a smooth transition in the macroscopically effective stress–strain curve. The randomness in material yield limits is found to have a stronger effect than that in elastic moduli. The elastic–plastic transitions in 3D simulations are observed to progress faster than those in 2D models. By analogy to the scaling analysis of phase transitions in condensed matter physics, we recognize the fully plastic state as a critical point and, upon defining three order parameters (the ‘reduced von-Mises stress’, ‘reduced plastic volume fraction’ and ‘reduced fractal dimension’), three scaling functions are introduced to unify the responses of different materials. The critical exponents are universal regardless of the randomness in various constitutive properties and their random noise levels.     

Berkovich nanoindentation study of monocrystalline tungsten: a crystal plasticity study of surface pile-up deformation

Abstract

In this paper, it was investigated whether Berkovich indentation test with a triangular-based pyramidal imprint would exhibit the same surface pile-up deformation behaviour as in Vickers or spherical indentation tests. The characteristic correlation between the pile-up patterns of monocrystalline tungsten and the geometry of slip systems was examined both experimentally and computationally. Surface pile-up patterns for three different crystallographic orientations of specimens with corresponding rotational crystal symmetry were characterised. In addition, the effect of the varying azimuthal orientation of the indenter on the pile-up patterns was also discussed. Predictions from finite element simulation based on the crystal plasticity theory are also presented and compared with the measured results. It was found that the surface pile-up patterns of Berkovich indentation did not necessarily reflect the rotational crystal symmetry of tungsten single crystal specimens. The pile-up patterns were affected by the variation of the indenter’s azimuthal orientation. The height of the pile-up hillocks was often highly non-uniform even on the same surface plane indicating strong influence of slip geometry leading to the plastic anisotropy.     

Magnetic transition and large reversible magnetocaloric effect in EuCu1.75P2 compound

The magnetocaloric effect(MCE) in EuCu1.75P2 compound is studied by the magnetization and heat capacity measurements.Magnetization and modified Arrott plots indicate that the compound undergoes a second-order phase transition at TC ～ 51 K.A large reversible MCE is observed around TC.The values of maximum magnetic entropy change(-△SxMma) reach 5.6 J·kg-1·K-1 and 13.3 J·kg-1·K-1 for the field change of 2 T and 7 T,respectively,with no obvious hysteresis loss in the vicinity of Curie temperature.The corresponding maximum adiabatic temperature changes(△Tadmax) are evaluated to be 2.1 K and 5.0 K.The magnetic transition and the origin of large MCE in EuCu1.75P2 are also discussed.     

Phase behaviors in a binary mixture of diblock copolymers confined between two parallel walls

The phase behaviors in a binary mixture of diblock copolymers confined between two parallel walls are investigated by using a cell dynamics simulation of the time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau theory.The morphological dependence of the wall-block interaction and the distance between walls(confinement degree) has been systematically studied,and the effect of repulsive interactions between different monomers is also discussed.It is interesting that multiple novel morphological transitions are observed by changing these factors,and various multilayered sandwich structures are formed in the mixture.Furthermore,the parametric dependence and physical reasons for the microdomain growth and orientational order transitions are discussed.From the simulation,we find that much richer morphologies can form in a binary mixture of diblock copolymers than those in a pure diblock copolymer.Our results provide an insight into the phase behaviors under parallel wall confinement and may provide guidance for experimentalists.This model system can also give a simple way to realize orientational order transition in soft materials through confinement.     

Lead zirconate titanate behaviors in an LDMOS

The behaviors of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) deposited as the dielectric for high-voltage devices are investigated experimentally and theoretically. The devices demonstrate not only high breakdown voltages above 350 V, but also excellent memory behaviors. A drain current-gate voltage (ID-VG) memory window of about 2.2 V is obtained at the sweep voltages of ±10 V for the 350-V laterally diffused metal oxide semiconductor (LDMOS). The retention time of about 270 s is recorded for the LDMOS through a controlled ID-VG measurement. The LDMOS with memory behaviors has potential to be applied in future power conversion circuits to boost the performance of the energy conversion system.