The recent development in the field of superhard materials with Vickers hardness of ⩾40 GPa is reviewed. Two basic approaches are outlined including the intrinsic superhard materials, such as diamond, cubic boron nitride, C3N4, carbonitrides, etc. and extrinsic, nanostructured materials for which superhardness is achieved by an appropriate design of their microstructure. The theoretically predicted high hardness of C3N4 has not been experimentally documented so far. Ceramics made of cubic boron nitride prepared at high pressure and temperature find many applications whereas thin films prepared by activated deposition from the gas phase are still in the stage of fundamental development. The greatest progress has been achieved in the field of nanostructured materials including superlattices and nanocomposites where superhardness of ⩾50 GPa was reported for several systems. More recently, nc-TiN/SiNx nanocomposites with hardness of 105 GPa were prepared, reaching the hardness of diamond. The principles of de...

https://mediatum.ub.tum.de/doc/958917/file.pdf

The search for novel, superhard materials

Combining in an additive or synergetic manner the most potent strengthening mechanisms available in an alloy is the art of the metallurgist. The various models proposed in the literature in order to interpret the Hall-Petch relation are critically reviewed by comparison with experimental data. The pile-up models and the work hardening theories must include the inner structure of the grain in the case of alloys hardened by a second phase. Similarly, the properties and structure of the grain boundaries are influenced by impurities or the presence of particles. Ultra-fine grain sizes can provide ductility to high strength materials when surface preparation eliminates microcracks. In steady-state creep equations, introducing the influence of grain size in complex alloys by incorporating the Hall-Petch stress as one component of the internal stress helps in rationalizing the existence of an optimal grain size where creep resistance is maximized. Slower crack growth rates can be obtained by controlling the grain boundary structure as well as grain size. Fatigue tests at room temperature clearly point out the interest of small grain sizes for reducing crack initiation, usually associated, however, with lower propagation threshold and somewhat faster growth rates.

Influence of grain size on the mechanical behaviour of some high strength materials

Microstructural evolution by continuous recrystallization in a superplastic Al-Mg alloy

The plastic deformation of seven 5083 commercial aluminum materials, produced from five different alloy heats, are evaluated under conditions of interest for superplastic and quick-plastic forming. Two mechanisms are shown to govern plastic deformation in AA5083 over the strain rates, strains, and temperatures of interest for these forming technologies: grain-boundary-sliding (GBS) creep and solutedrag (SD) creep. Quantitative analysis of stress transients following rate changes clearly differentiates between GBS and SD creep and offers conclusive proof that SD creep dominates deformation at fast strain rates and low temperature. Furthermore, stress transients following strain-rate changes under SD creep are observed to decay exponentially with strain. A new graphical construction is proposed for the analysis and prediction of creep transients. This construction predicts the relative size of creep transients under SD creep from the relative size of changes in an applied strain rate or stress. This construction reveals the relative size of creep transients under SD creep to be independent of temperature; temperature dependence resides in the “steady-state” creep behavior to which transients are related.

Deformation mechanisms in superplastic AA5083 materials

This review is devoted to the effect of grain boundaries on the deformational and strength properties of poly-, micro-, and nanocrystalline materials (predominantly metals). The main experimental facts and mechanisms concerning the dislocation structure and mechanical behavior of these materials over wide ranges of temperatures and grain sizes are presented. The experimentally established regularities are analyzed theoretically in terms of equations of dislocation kinetics taking into account the properties of grain boundaries as barriers, sources, and sinks for dislocations and as places where dislocations annihilate. The origin of the Hall-Petch relations for the yield stress and the flow stress as functions of the grain size, as well as the deviations from these relations observed in nano- and microcrystalline materials, is discussed in detail in terms of the dislocation-kinetics approach. Embrittlement of micro- and nanocrystalline materials at low temperatures and superplasticity of these materials at elevated temperatures are also analyzed in terms of the dislocation-kinetics approach.

Plasticity and strength of micro- and nanocrystalline materials

This short review summarizes the contribution of microstructural studies to the present understanding of the deformation mechanisms operating during superplastic deformation. A background summary is included that describes the major features of superplasticity, the relevant deformation theories, and the requirements for successful microstructural studies. However, most of the paper is concentrated on a discussion of the microstructural evidence in the literature on two types of material. The first is a representative group of modern commercial nickel, aluminum, and magnesium alloys. The second is the Zn-Al eutectoid, a member of the well characterized “classical” group of superplastic materials based upon eutectic or eutectoid compositions. The importance of dislocation motion at maximumm is emphasized, both as an accommodation mechanism for grain boundary sliding and directly in response to the applied stress. However, it is shown that, in IN100 and Supral 150, other processes occur simultaneously, including recrystallization and diffusion.

Microstructural aspects of superplasticity

Intergranular cavitation is an important consideration in the successful development of a commercially viable superplastic forming process for the high strength aluminum alloy, 7475. This work examined the microstructural features involved in the initiation stages of cavity formation. The observations suggest that, with the optimum superplastic deformation conditions, cavity nucleation is generally the rate determining step in the overall development of cavitation with strain. Cavities do not generally form at even the largest of the common single phase inclusion particles unless forming conditions are such that the flow stress significantly increases. It appears that, as well as local stress concentrations, additional effects are required, such as temperature induced particle decohesion and internal gas evolution, in order that cavities may grow to stable sizes. Such conditions may exist at certain two phase inclusion particles in the 7475 Al alloy. Suitable modifications to the standard alloy processing may therefore be devised which result in even lower rates of cavitation at the optimum superplastic forming conditions.

Microstructural observations of superplastic cavitation in fine grained 7475-Ai

This paper describes two ways in which materials suppliers view materials technology development for light weighting structures. The first example, aluminium-lithium alloy development for airframes, describes a classical case where the alloy development is the key step. The second example, aluminium structured vehicle technology development for automobile bodies, describes a more complex situation where the aluminium alloy development is a minor issue. More important are a broad range of vehicle performance, manufacturing and cost problems which must be solved jointly between the materials supplier and the automobile manufacturer. Although the aluminium industry is illustrated here, similar examples can be found in other structural materials industries, including steel and plastics.

Jeff W. Edington

Papers

Microstructural aspects of superplasticity

Microstructural observations of superplastic cavitation in fine grained 7475-Ai

Materials development for light design: a suppliers view