Grain Boundary Junctions in Microstructure Generated by Multiple Twinning

The microstructure of a Cu-Ni alloy after static recrystallization was investigated using electron backscatter diffraction in a scanning electron microscope and the existence of orientationally related clusters of crystallites formed by multiple twinning has been established. Grain boundary and triple junction character within the clusters are analyzed. While the outer boundaries of the cluster are crystallographically random, all the inner boundaries have 3 ⁿ misorientations. A newly developed crystallographic theory of triple junctions and multicrystallite ensembles consisting of CSL boundaries is used to describe the structure of the cluster. The presence of an 1 triple junction is confirmed. Apparently, the microstructure of recrystallized materials susceptible to annealing twinning consists of multiple-twinned clusters. The cluster size cannot be reduced to the grain size excluding twins.     

Effect of the density of twinning dislocations on the configuration of stress fields near a wedge twin with different shapes of the boundaries

The effect of changes in density of twinning dislocations on one boundary of the wedge twin on the configuration of the stress fields generated by the latter is considered on the basis of a macroscopic dislocation model. Specific features of violation of symmetry of the stress-field distribution near the wedge twin with different shapes of the boundaries are demonstrated for the case of different densities of twinning dislocations on the twin boundaries. __________ Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 49, No. 5, pp. 199–204, September–October, 2008.     

Use of thin polyparaxylene films to study the plastic deformation bismuth single crystals

The effect of thin polyparaxylene films on the mechanical twinning of bismuth single crystals with the (111) surface subjected to local deformation. It is found that the number of twins formed near the stress concentrator increases in the presence of the film. Possible mechanisms are proposed to explain an increase in the mobility of twin dislocations in a deformable crystal whose surface is coated with a polyparaxylene film. Spalling of bismuth is found in the regions deformed by the indenter. __________ Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 47, No. 4, pp. 162–166, July–August, 2006.     

铁基超导体的微结构和结构相变研究

铁基超导体表现出丰富的结构和物理性质,在多个典型体系中存在着结构相变和多重有序态之间的关联与竞争. 例如,母相化合物LaFeAsO在150K附近发生从四方相(P4/nmm)到正交相(Cmma)的结构相变,同时其电输运性质和磁化率也表现出明显的反常行为. 微结构分析发现,在CaFe2As2 样品中,存在准周期调制结构,而且在低温区,122体系存在丰富的孪晶畴结构,这种孪晶结构是结构相变的直接结果. 另外,在超导材料KxFe2-ySe2 （0.7≤x≤0.8, 0.2≤y≤0.4）中,Fe空位有序态和结构相分离是理解其结构,也是理解其磁性和输运性质的关键问题,特别是沿［130］晶体带轴方向的5倍超结构与系统的超导电性存在密切关系.     

Deformation behaviour of body centered cubic iron nanopillars containing coherent twin boundaries

Molecular dynamics simulations were performed to understand the role of twin boundaries on deformation behaviour of body-centred cubic (BCC) iron (Fe) nanopillars. The twin boundaries varying from 1 to 5 providing twin boundary spacing in the range 8.5–2.8 nm were introduced perpendicular to the loading direction. The simulation results indicated that the twin boundaries in BCC Fe play a contrasting role during deformation under tensile and compressive loadings. During tensile deformation, a large reduction in yield stress was observed in twinned nanopillars compared to perfect nanopillar. However, the yield stress exhibited only marginal variation with respect to twin boundary spacing. On the contrary, a decrease in yield stress with increase in twin boundary spacing was obtained during compressive deformation. This contrasting behaviour originates from difference in operating mechanisms during yielding and subsequent plastic deformation. It has been observed that the deformation under tensile loading was dominated mainly by twin growth mechanism. On the other hand, the deformation was dominated by nucleation and slip of full dislocations under compressive loading. The twin boundaries offer a strong repulsive force on full dislocations resulting in the yield stress dependence on twin boundary spacing. The occurrence of twin–twin interaction during tensile deformation and dislocation–twin interaction during compressive deformation has been discussed.     

Nucleation of deformation twins in nanocrystalline fcc alloys

An earlier dislocation model for predicting the grain size effect on deformation twinning in nanocrystalline (nc) face-centred-cubic (fcc) metals has been found valid for pure metals but problematic for alloys. The problem arises from the assumption that the stacking-fault energy (γ_SF) is twice the coherent twin-boundary energy (γ_fcc), which is approximately correct for pure fcc metals, but not for alloys. Here we developed a modified dislocation model to explain the deformation twinning nucleation in fcc alloy systems, where γ_SF ≠ 2γ_twin. This model can explain the differences in the formations of deformation twins in pure metals and alloys, which is significant in low stacking-fault energy alloys. We also describe the procedure to calculate the optimum grain size for twinning in alloy systems and present a method to estimate γ_twin.     

Chemical twinning of the pyrochlore structure in the system Bi2O3-Fe2O3-Nb2O5

New ternary bismuth iron niobates having structures based on chemical twinning of pyrochlore are described. Bi_5.67Nb₁₀FeO₃₅ has hexagonal symmetry, P6₃/mmc, , , Z=2 and Bi_9.3Nb_16.9Fe_1.1O_57.8 has rhombohedral symmetry, R-3m, , , Z=3. The structures of both phases were determined and refined to R₁=0.04 using single-crystal X-ray data. They can be described as being derived from the pyrochlore structure by chemical twinning on (111)_py oxygen planes. The chemical twin operation produces pairs of corner-connected hexagonal tungsten bronze (HTB) layers as in the HTB structure, so the structures may alternatively be described as pyrochlore:HTB unit-cell intergrowth structures. In the hexagonal phase the pyrochlore blocks have a width of 12 Å, whereas the rhombohedral phase has pyrochlore blocks of two widths, 6 and 12 Å, alternating with HTB blocks. It is proposed that the previously reported binary 4Bi₂O₃:9Nb₂O₅ phase has a related structure containing pyrochlore blocks all of width 6 Å. A feature of the structures is partial occupancy (∼65%) of the Bi sites and displacement of the Bi atoms from the ideal pyrochlore A sites towards the surrounding oxygen atoms, as observed in Bi-containing pyrochlores.     

On the generation of nanograins in pure copper through uniaxial single compression

Attempts at generating nanograins through uniaxial single compression were made by deforming copper samples at 298 K and 77 K. At 298 K, dynamically-deformed samples (DDS) become softer, in contrast to quasi-statically deformed samples (QDS), which show a hardness close to the saturation value. The microstructure of DDS is characterised by deformation twins and equiaxed micron-sized grains, and the observed softening is due to the occurrence of recrystallisation (RX). At a reduced temperature of 77 K, nanograins are generated in DDS, whereas QDS show forest dislocations and twins. The generation of nanograins, which evolve through rotational DRX, is associated with the formation of shear bands with an amorphous structure. Compared with twinning, it appears that amorphisation plays a more pronounced role in high strain rate deformation at reduced temperatures (77 K). The hardness of DDS, obtained from compression at 77 K, exceeds the saturation value by 16%, whereas that of QDS corresponds approximately to saturation.     

In situ synchrotron X-ray microdiffraction analysis of thermomechanically induced phase transformations in Cu–Al–Ni shape-memory alloy

Phase transformations in a single-crystal Cu–Al–Ni shape-memory alloy induced by thermomechanical effects were investigated in situ by high-resolution synchrotron X-ray microdiffraction. Contrary to the common belief, austenite texture maps revealed that austenite-to-martensite transformation occurred during heating of the partially transformed material under fixed specimen elongation. Twinned and detwinned types of martensite coexisted during this austenite-to-martensite phase transformation. Twinning and detwinning structures evolved to accommodate changes in stress and strain generated in the temperature-varying environment. Small amounts of austenite exhibiting distorted crystallographic orientation were detected in regions of stress-induced martensite during heating of the partially transformed material. The results of this investigation provide insight into intriguing stress rate-dependent phenomena intrinsic of shape-memory alloys and elucidate complex phase transformations due to thermal and mechanical stress effects.