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Using ex-situ transmission electron microscopy and the recently developed nanoprobe diffraction (NPD) technique, we characterize a nanoindented solution treated gum metal. Lattice rotations are resolved at a 1.2 nm length-scale and shown to be continuous within the nanoindentation pit; further, it is shown that these can be accommodated by a reasonable number of geometrically necessary dislocations at a density of ∼10 15 /m 2 . We additionally provide direct evidence that dislocations within the nanoindent, rather than secondary phase nanoparticles, can serve as potent barriers to dislocation motion. We also demonstrate that plasticity in these alloys under nanoindentation can be accommodated solely by dislocation nucleation and propagation, with no competing deformation mechanisms present. Conventional transmission electron microscopy and “ g•b ” analysis reveal the presence of dislocations on 〈 1 ¯ 11 〉 {110} slip systems and highly localized plastic deformation in the form of shear bands on <111> { 1 ¯ 1 ¯ 2 } slip systems, similar to previously observed “giant faults”. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of boron in promoting ductility at high temperature in a prototype nickel-based superalloy designed for industrial gas turbines is studied. Both a boron-containing and boron-free variant are tested in tension at 750 °C, with further in-situ tests carried out using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), to clarify the mechanism of ductility improvement. The improvement in ductility is observed to be greater at the lowest investigated strain rate, where the grain boundary character plays a significant role on the mechanical properties; no ductility improvement was observed at the highest investigated strain rate. The in-situ tests were also performed at 750 °C and revealed directly the greater susceptibility of the grain boundary morphology in the boron-free case to fracture and – in the boron-containing case – the mechanism of ductility enhancement. The findings are supported further by high-resolution electron backscattered diffraction (HR-EBSD) strain mapping which confirms that the distribution of elastic strain and geometrically necessary dislocation (GND) content are influenced markedly by boron addition. The mechanism through which boron indirectly enhances the mechanical properties at elevated temperatures is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The multi-scale complexity of lath martensitic microstructures requires scale-bridging analyses to better understand the deformation mechanisms activated therein. In this study, plasticity in lath martensite is investigated by multi-field mapping of deformation-induced microstructure, topography, and strain evolution at different spatial resolution vs. field-of-view combinations. These investigations reveal site-specific initiation of dislocation activity within laths, as well as significant plastic accommodation in the vicinity of high angle block and packet boundaries. The observation of interface plasticity raises several questions regarding the role of thin inter-lath austenite films. Thus, accompanying transmission electron microscopy and synchrotron x-ray diffraction experiments are carried out to investigate the stability of these films to mechanical loading, and to discuss alternative boundary sliding mechanisms to explain the observed interface strain localization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tailoring interfaces is a powerful way of reducing the accumulation of radiation defects. Understanding strain evolution induced by ion bombardment in nuclear materials with high interface density is crucial for next-generation reactors since induced defects are responsible for volumetric swelling and catastrophic failure. X-ray and selected-area diffraction patterns (SADPs) measurements reveal, after Cu implantation, that a relatively high out-of-plane strain is created in thin Zr/Nb 6 multilayers, while thick Zr/Nb 96 is barely distorted. The absence of layer deformation in Zr/Nb 96 is explained by local TEM strain mapping showing the presence of two oppositely distorted regions (inner and interface-affected regions) within one layer producing only a small overall strain, whereas the whole individual layers of Zr/Nb 6 are affected by the interface manifesting high strain. Using MD simulations, the types of defects responsible for layer distortion are identified. The opposite distortion within the layer is attributed to the inequality of the defect flux from the inner to interface-affected region due to the difference in migration energy barriers of the point defects. Moreover, the interface sink efficiency (defect annihilation) is determined for Zr/Nb as an illustration which provides a strategy for designing new derivate structures of multilayers with high radiation damage resistance. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A procedure for determining three-dimensional grain boundary geometry and its change under external loading is proposed for evaluating crystallographic deformation behaviours in polycrystalline materials, and the feasibility of this approach is confirmed for an aluminium alloy. X-ray microtomography has been combined with gallium-enhanced microscopy, in which grains are visualized in three dimensions by decorating grain boundaries with liquid gallium. Grain boundary particles are then extracted by comparing tomographic images with and without the gallium application. Three-dimensional reconstruction of grains is achieved using a connection scheme based on triplets of non-aligned points on grain boundaries. The deformation of the closed polygonal grains is visualized by combining the above technique with a microstructural tracking technique, in which the paths of particles are reconstructed by matching each pair of particles in consecutive images. This process also enables high-density four-dimensional strain mapping by tracking particles located in grains, providing direct interpretation of localized deformation caused by interaction between neighbouring grains. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Strain in a deformation-twinned nanocrystalline Pd sample of about 24nm grain size was mapped by means of geometric phase analysis based on an individual high-resolution transmission electron microscopy image. The in-plane components of the strain tensor were calculated and charted. Strains with magnitudes of about 0.8% were found in the grain interior. Twins and matrix were significantly distorted relative to each other (by about 3° on average) and showed a strong rotation gradient from top to bottom, revealing that the whole grain is bent. An estimate of the strain energy stored in the Pd grain yielded a value of . Based on the strain distribution observed, a temporal deformation scenario has been developed. In our judgement, deformation twins had formed first and subsequently dislocations were activated, most likely by the misfit strain/stress concentrations generated by the twins themselves. The interaction of the dislocations with the twin boundaries left behind Shockley partials and this accounted for the strain concentrations finally observed along the twin boundaries. It is concluded that in the temporal evolution of deformation in a nanocrystalline material, twinning must be by far the fastest deformation mode, which accounts for the abundance of deformation twins, especially at high strain rates. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Local strains at particle–matrix hetero-interfaces in an Al–Pb composite produced by high-energy ball-milling were measured by means of geometric phase analysis (GPA) on the basis of high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) images. A through-focus series of 10 experimental micrographs was used to retrieve the complex exit-face wave function and subsequently to calculate the components of the strain tensor using Pb as the reference lattice. The strain analysis revealed considerable strain for the interface regions with compressive strain for the Pb side and tensile strain for the Al side. The strained zones extend up to 2–3 lattice spacings on either side of the interface. The interface regions are not sheared or significantly rotated, which shows that the whole state of the interface is elastically strained but not plastically deformed. A new possible interpretation of the melting behaviour of the Pb particles in terms of the strains is discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Three different characteristic microstructures of Ti–44Al–8Nb–1B (at.%) have been studied by in situ loading, with acoustic emission and image correlation and ex situ by electron backscatter diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Microyielding and pre-yield cracking occur at different applied stress levels; nearly fully lamellar material yielding at the lowest and duplex material at the highest stress. The early microyielding in the lamellar microstructures is explained by strain heterogeneity seen in the early stages during loading; the microyielding is higher in lamellae at 45° than in lamellae parallel or perpendicular to the loading direction. Duplex microstructures show no detectable strain heterogeneity until macroscopic yield occurs. The lower bound of the internal stress present in undeformed near lamellar and fully lamellar samples was estimated by observations of dislocation loops at alpha-2/gamma interfaces. The observations are discussed in terms of the influence of internal stress on the tensile and fatigue properties of the different microstructures. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Microstructural plastic strain distribution evolution is highly heterogeneous even in single-phase alloys. One of the important factors that govern this heterogeneity is slip/twinning transfer across grain/phase boundaries. In this regard, the fundamentals of transfer across grain boundaries have drawn significant attention in the literature, while the understanding of phase boundaries remains comparatively limited. (α+β) titanium alloys provide a profound platform to explore these phenomena, since: (i) both of the present phases can exhibit plastic deformation at similar microscopic strain levels; and (ii) both dislocation slip and mechanical twinning can be triggered to accommodate plastic strain. In the present work, we evidenced a deformation transfer unit involving dislocation slip in the β-phase and { 10 1 ¯ 2 } -mechanical twin in the α-phase. We revealed by crystallographic calculations that the combination of Schmid factor and the Luster-Morris compatibility factor enables a rational quantification for the inception propensity of the slip-twinning transfer event. Our in-situ strain mapping approach verified that this sort of transfer activity can plausibly alleviate strain incompatibility/localization, demonstrating the potential to facilitate deformation homogeneity. Image, graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]