In situ TEM study of twin boundary migration in sub-micron Be fibers

Deformation twinning in hexagonal crystals is often considered as a way to palliate the lack of independent slip systems. This mechanism might be either exacerbated or shut down in small-scale crystals whose mechanical behavior can significantly deviate from bulk materials. Here, we show that sub-micron beryllium fibers initially free of dislocation and tensile tested in-situ in a transmission electron microscope (TEM) deform by a $\{ 10\bar{1}2 \}$ $\langle 10\bar{1}1 \rangle$ twin thickening. The propagation speed of the twin boundary seems to be entirely controlled by the nucleation of twinning dislocations directly from the surface. The shear produced is in agreement with the repeated lateral motion of twinning dislocations. We demonstrate that the activation volume ($V$) associated with the twin boundary propagation can be retrieved from the measure of the twin boundary speed as the stress decreases as in a classical relaxation mechanical test. The value of $V \approx 8.3 \pm 3.3 \times 10^{-29}m^3$ is comparable to the value expected from surface nucleation.Comment: 13 pages, 9 figure

Cast aluminium single crystals cross the threshold from bulk to size-dependent stochastic plasticity

Metals are known to exhibit mechanical behaviour at the nanoscale different to bulk samples. This transition typically initiates at the micrometre scale, yet existing techniques to produce micrometre-sized samples often introduce artefacts that can influence deformation mechanisms. Here, we demonstrate the casting of micrometre-scale aluminium single-crystal wires by infiltration of a salt mould. Samples have millimetre lengths, smooth surfaces, a range of crystallographic orientations, and a diameter D as small as 6 μm. The wires deform in bursts, at a stress that increases with decreasing D. Bursts greater than 200 nm account for roughly 50% of wire deformation and have exponentially distributed intensities. Dislocation dynamics simulations show that single-arm sources that produce large displacement bursts halted by stochastic cross-slip and lock formation explain microcast wire behaviour. This microcasting technique may be extended to several other metals or alloys and offers the possibility of exploring mechanical behaviour spanning the micrometre scale

Multiscale modelling for fusion and fission materials: the M4F project

The M4F project brings together the fusion and fission materials communities working on the prediction of radiation damage production and evolution and its effects on the mechanical behaviour of irradiated ferritic/martensitic (F/M) steels. It is a multidisciplinary project in which several different experimental and computational materials science tools are integrated to understand and model the complex phenomena associated with the formation and evolution of irradiation induced defects and their effects on the macroscopic behaviour of the target materials. In particular the project focuses on two specific aspects: (1) To develop physical understanding and predictive models of the origin and consequences of localised deformation under irradiation in F/M steels; (2) To develop good practices and possibly advance towards the definition of protocols for the use of ion irradiation as a tool to evaluate radiation effects on materials. Nineteen modelling codes across different scales are being used and developed and an experimental validation programme based on the examination of materials irradiated with neutrons and ions is being carried out. The project enters now its 4th year and is close to delivering high-quality results. This paper overviews the work performed so far within the project, highlighting its impact for fission and fusion materials science.This work has received funding from the Euratom research and training programme 2014-2018 under grant agreement No. 755039 (M4F project)

In-situ observation of dislocation motion in icosahedral Al-Pd-Mn quasicrystals

Dislocation motion in icosahedral Al-Pd-Mn quasicrystals has been observed in situ in a transmission electron microscope between 700 and 750degreesC. Contrast analyses show that it takes place by pure climb in twofold, threefold and fivefold planes. Moving dislocations exhibit polygonal shapes with edges parallel to twofold directions, in agreement with a difficult jog-pair nucleation. Dislocation multiplication, annihilation and local pinning are described and discussed, as well as the role of the phason faults trailed in the wake of dislocations, at the lowest investigated temperatures

Multiple coupling modes to relax shear strain during grain boundary migration

International audienceShear-coupled grain boundary (GB) migration is an effective plastic mechanism in absence of dislocation activity, ie. more favorably in nanocrystalline metals. For a given GB, several stress induced migration mechanisms, referred as coupling modes participate to the decrease of the elastic energy produced by the shear. They operate through the nucleation and motion of interfacial defects known as disconnections, carrying elementary shear strain characterized by their Burgers vector. However, so far, the coupling modes have been studied only under a simple shear, a situation much less complex than expected in a strained polycrystal, where multiple components of the stress tensor are present. Here we propose a more systematic investigation of the coupling modes when a composite shear is applied. This promotes the activation of new coupling modes. Using Molecular Dynamics simulations, we evidence these multiple coupling modes and the operation of their associate disconnections. Moreover, we also show that, even at low temperature, GB migration may occur by the successive occurrence of two modes: the relaxed shear appears then as an effective parameter, resulting from the combination of two operating elementary mechanisms

Role of sessile disconnection dipoles in shear-coupled grain boundary migration

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Dislocation climb in icosahedral quasicrystals

Abstract We discuss here some arguments in favor of climb being the dominant mode of dislocation motion responsible for the plastic deformation of icosahedral quasicrystals