Showing papers in "Philosophical Magazine in 2013"

Superconductivity of F-substituted LnOBiS2 (Ln=La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Yb) compounds

Abstract: Polycrystalline samples of F-substituted LnOBiS2 (Ln = La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Yb) compounds were synthesized by solid-state reaction. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction measurements and found to have the ZrCuSiAs crystal structure. Electrical resistivity and magnetic susceptibility measurements were performed on all of the samples and specific heat measurements were made on those with Ln = La, Ce, and Yb. All of these compounds exhibit superconductivity in the range 1.9 K–5.4 K, which has not previously been reported for the compounds based on Ce, Pr, and Yb. The YbO0.5F0.5BiS2 compound was also found to exhibit magnetic order at ∼2.7 K that apparently coexists with superconductivity below 5.4 K.

In situ study of self-ion irradiation damage in W and W-5Re at 500 °C

Abstract: In situ self-ion irradiations (150 keV W+) have been carried out on W and W–5Re at 500 °C, with doses ranging from 1016 to 1018 W+m−2 (∼1.0 dpa). Early damage formation (1016W+m−2) was observed in both materials. Black–white contrast experiments and image simulations using the TEMACI software suggested that vacancy loops were formed within individual cascades, and thus, the loop nucleation mechanism is likely to be ‘cascade collapse’. Dynamic observations showed the nucleation and growth of interstitial loops at higher doses, and that elastic loop interactions may involve changes in loop Burgers vector. Elastic interactions may also promote loop reactions such as absorption or coalescence or loop string formation. Loops in both W and W–5Re remained stable after annealing at 500 °C. One-dimensional hopping of loops (b = 1/2 ⟨111>) was only seen in W. At the final dose (1018W+m−2), a slightly denser damage microstructure was seen in W–5Re. Both materials had about 3–4 × 1015 loops m−2. Detailed post-irradia...

Evidence of grain boundary dislocation step motion associated to shear-coupled grain boundary migration

Abstract: The present work reports dynamical observations of the grain boundary (GB)-mediated plasticity during in situ transmission electron microscopy straining experiments at moderate temperature (400 C) both in a 76.4 bicrystalline and a polycrystalline Al sample. We show that the GB migration occurs by the lateral motion of elementary GB dislocation steps. The accumulation of GB dislocation steps eventually form macro-steps. This observation agrees with the idea that GB dislocation steps generally operate in high angle GBs similarly as in twinning or martensitic transformations. The coupling factor, i.e. the strain produced by the motion of the steps was measured using fiducial markers and image correlation. The migration process involves different types of GB dislocation steps, producing different amounts of strain both parallel (coupling factor) and perpendicular to the GB plane.

Grain boundaries as the controlling factor for the ferromagnetic behaviour of Co-doped ZnO

Abstract: The influence of the grain boundary (GB) specific area s GB on the appearance of ferromagnetism in Co-doped ZnO has been analysed based on a review of numerous research contributions from the literature on the origin of the ferromagnetic behaviour of Co-doped ZnO. An empirical correlation has been found that the value of the specific grain boundary area s GB is the main factor controlling such behaviour. The Co-doped ZnO becomes ferromagnetic only if it contains enough GBs, i.e., if s GB is higher than a certain threshold value s th = 1.5 × 106 m2/m3. It corresponds to the effective grain size of about 1 µm assuming a full dense material and equiaxial grains. The magnetic properties of Co-doped (0 to 42 at. %) ZnO dense nanograined thin films have been investigated. The films were deposited using the wet chemistry “liquid ceramics” method. The samples demonstrate ferromagnetic behaviour with J s up to 0.12 emu/g and coercivity H c ∼ 0.01 T. Saturation magnetization non-monotonically depends on the Co conc...

Thermal stability of Cu–Nb nanolamellar composites fabricated via accumulative roll bonding

Abstract: In situ annealing within a neutron beam line and ex situ annealing followed by transmission electron microscopy were used to study the thermal stability of the texture, microstructure, and bi-metal interface in bulk nanolamellar Cu/Nb composites (h = 18 nm individual layer thickness) fabricated via accumulative roll bonding, a severe plastic deformation technique. Compared to the bulk single-phase constituent materials, the nanocomposite is two orders of magnitude higher in hardness and significantly more thermally stable, e.g., no observed recrystallization in Cu at temperatures as high as 85% of the melting temperature. The nanoscale h = 18 nm individual layer thickness is maintained up to 500°C, the lamellar structure thickens but is maintained up to 700°C, and recrystallization is suppressed even up to 900°C. With increasing temperature, the texture sharpens, and among the interfaces found in the starting material, the {112}Cu || {112}Nb interface with a Kurdjumov-Sachs orientation relationship shows ...

Atomic shearing and shuffling accompanying the motion of twinning disconnections in Zirconium

Abstract: Disconnection motion along ( ) and ( ) twins in Zr is investigated using atomic-scale simulation. In particular, the high mobility of glissile disconnections is studied in terms of the atomic shears and shuffles involved. Using a quasi-static simulation procedure, the displacements of individual atoms are followed as they transit from matrix sites, through interfacial sites, and hence to twin sites by repeated passages of disconnections along the interface. It is found that the overall displacements for the cases studied are those predicted by the Bilby and Crocker (1965) theory which invokes homogeneous shear deformation. However, the present work enables atomic tracks to be followed through the cores of moving disconnections. The combinations of shears and shuffles in the two twinning systems are found to be quite distinct. In addition to tracking their coordinates, the variation of hydrostatic pressure experienced by the atoms is also quantified.

Set Voronoi diagrams of 3D assemblies of aspherical particles

Abstract: Several approaches to quantitative local structure characterization for particulate assemblies, such as structural glasses or jammed packings, use the partition of space provided by the Voronoi diagram. The conventional construction for spherical mono-disperse particles, by which the Voronoi cell of a particle is that of its centre point, cannot be applied to configurations of aspherical or polydisperse particles. Here, we discuss the construction of a Set Voronoi diagram for configurations of aspherical particles in three-dimensional space. The Set Voronoi cell of a given particle is composed of all points in space that are closer to the surface (as opposed to the centre) of the given particle than to the surface of any other; this definition reduces to the conventional Voronoi diagram for the case of mono-disperse spheres. An algorithm for the computation of the Set Voronoi diagram for convex particles is described, as a special case of a Voronoi-based medial axis algorithm, based on a triangula...

A pseudobinary approach to study interdiffusion and the Kirkendall effect in multicomponent systems

Abstract: Interdiffusion studies become increasingly difficult to perform with the increasing number of elements in a system. It is rather easy to calculate the interdiffusion coefficients for all the compositions in the interdiffusion zone in a binary system. The intrinsic diffusion coefficients can be calculated for the composition of Kirkendall marker plane in a binary system. In a ternary system, however, the interdiffusion coefficients can only be calculated for the composition where composition profiles from two different diffusion couples intersect. Intrinsic diffusion coefficients are possible to calculate when the Kirkendall markers are also present at that composition, which is a condition that is generally difficult to satisfy. In a quaternary system, the composition profiles for three different diffusion couples must intersect at one particular composition to calculate the diffusion parameters, which is a condition that is almost impossible to satisfy. To avoid these complications in a multicomponent system, the average interdiffusion coefficients are calculated. I propose a method of calculating the intrinsic diffusion coefficients and the variation in the interdiffusion coefficients for multicomponent systems. This method can be used for a single diffusion couple in a multicomponent pseudobinary system. The compositions of the end members of a diffusion couple should be selected such that only two elements diffuse into the interdiffusion zone. A few hypothetical diffusion couples are considered in order to validate and explain our method. Various sources of error in the calculations are also discussed.

The interactions of self-interstitials with twin boundaries

Abstract: A new mechanism of adsorption of self-interstitials onto twin boundaries (TB) in face-centred cubic (fcc) metals is identified using molecular dynamics simulations In this mechanism, self-interstitials are arranged in the twin boundary plane forming a previously unknown kind of self-interstitial cluster The self-interstitial cluster in the twin boundary is bounded by lines of atoms under high hydrostatic pressure while the pressure inside the cluster is much smaller The atoms in the middle of the cluster have hcp short range order rather than fcc However, if a new self-interstitial cluster forms in the middle of a pre-existing one, then the atoms in the middle of the new cluster will have regular twin boundary coordination As a consequence of the formation of self-interstitial clusters inside each other, TB can be powerful, non-saturating sinks for self-interstitials

Structure and stability of Σ3 grain boundaries in face centered cubic metals

Abstract: Σ3 grain boundaries form as a result of either growth twinning or deformation twinning in face centered cubic (fcc) metals and play a crucial role in determining the mechanical and electrical properties and microstructural stability. We studied the structure and stability of Σ3 grain boundaries (GBs) in fcc metals by using topological analysis and atomistic simulations. Atomistic simulations were performed for Cu and Al with empirical interatomic potentials to reveal the influence of stacking fault energy on the morphology of the twinned grains. Three sets of tilt Σ3 GBs were studied with respect to the tilt axis parallel to ⟨111⟩, ⟨112⟩, and ⟨110⟩, respectively. We showed that Σ3{111} and Σ3{112} GBs are thermodynamically stable and the others will dissociate into terraced interfaces regardless of the stacking fault energy. The morphology of the nano-twinned grains in Cu is predicted from the above analysis and found to match with experiments.

Comparison of the deformation behaviour of commercially pure titanium and Ti–5Al–2.5Sn(wt.%) at 296 and 728 K

Abstract: The tension and tensile-creep deformation behaviours of a fully-α phase commercially pure (CP) Ti and a near-α Ti–5Al–2.5Sn(wt.%) alloy deformed in situ inside a scanning electron microscope were compared. Tensile tests were performed at 296 and 728 K, while tensile-creep tests were performed at 728 K. The yield stress of CP Ti decreased dramatically with increasing temperature. In contrast, temperature had much smaller effect on the yield stress of Ti–5Al–2.5Sn(wt.%). Electron backscattered diffraction was performed both before and after the deformation, and slip trace analysis was used to determine the active slip and twinning systems, as well as the associated global stress state Schmid factors. In tension tests of CP Ti, prismatic slip was the most likely slip system to be activated when the Schmid factor exceeded 0.4. Prismatic slip was observed over the largest Schmid factor range, indicating that the local stress tensor varies significantly from the global stress state of uniaxial tension. The basa...

Anisotropy in hexagonal close-packed structures: improvements to crystal plasticity approaches applied to magnesium alloy

Abstract: Due to its polarity, twinning in strongly textured hexagonal close packed (HCP) structures can be maximized or minimized under particular loading conditions. The resulting anisotropy can be dramatically demonstrated for magnesium with a fibre, for example. The stress–strain behaviour from compression loading parallel to the fibre produces a ‘parabolic’ stress–strain curve, but a ‘sigmoidal’ curve when loaded normal to the fibre. When modelling anisotropy in HCP structures with crystal plasticity, contemporary researchers usually fit hardening parameters to only these two extreme cases, i.e., maximized or minimized twinning activity, presuming that the same parameters would interpolate the correct behaviour under any other transitional stress direction. A comparison with experiments presented in this paper demonstrates that this assumption is not fully accurate, whether using the phenomenological Voce hardening model or the dislocation density based hardening model in the VPSC (visco-plastic self-...

Dislocation content of geometrically necessary boundaries aligned with slip planes in rolled aluminium

Abstract: Previous studies have revealed that dislocation structures in metals with medium-to-high stacking fault energy, depend on the grain orientation and therefore on the slip systems. In the present work, the dislocations in eight slip-plane-aligned geometrically necessary boundaries (GNBs) in three grains of near 45° ND rotated cube orientation in lightly rolled pure aluminium are characterized in great detail using transmission electron microscopy. Dislocations with all six Burgers vectors of the ½⟨1 1 0⟩ type expected for fcc crystals were observed but dislocations from the four slip systems expected active dominate. The dislocations predicted inactive are primarily attributed to dislocation reactions in the boundary. Two main types of dislocation networks in the boundaries were identified: (1) a hexagonal network of the three dislocations in the slip plane with which the boundary was aligned; two of these come from the active slip systems, the third is attributed to dislocation reactions (2) a network of t...

Friedel vs. Labusch: the strong/weak pinning transition in solute strengthened metals

Abstract: Solute strengthening in substitutional alloys can be classified into two categories, strong-pinning (Friedel) and weak-pinning (Labusch), each with its own characteristic scaling with concentration and temperature. The transition between the two strengthening mechanisms as a function of solute concentration has previously been estimated at zero temperature. Here, the transition is investigated more completely, using a new model for the Labusch-type weak pinning model and considering finite temperature and strain rate. A parametric study of the transition as a function of solute concentration and dislocation core structure shows that the temperature dependence of the transition concentration greatly depends on the dislocation core structure and, in general, can differ significantly from the zero-temperature value. The zero-temperature transition concentration itself also differs from the standard estimate. Except for the most highly localized cores, the Labusch model controls the strengthening for...

Fluence-dependent radiation damage in helium (He) ion-irradiated Cu/V multilayers

Abstract: We have explored the capacity of Cu/V interfaces to absorb helium ion radiation-induced defects spanning a peak damage range of 0.6–18 displacements per atom (dpa). The study provides evidence of alleviated nucleation of He bubbles in the multilayer films from Cu/V 50 nm to Cu/V 2.5 nm. Layer interfaces are retained in all irradiated specimens. Peak bubble density increases monotonically with fluence, and is lower in multilayers with smaller individual layer thickness. Radiation hardening decreases with decreasing layer thickness and appears to reach saturation upon peak radiation damage of 6 dpa. Size- and fluence-dependent radiation damage in multilayers is discussed.

Superior tolerance of Ag/Ni multilayers against Kr ion irradiation: an in situ study

Abstract: Monolithic Ag and Ni films and Ag/Ni multilayers with individual layer thickness of 5 and 50 nm were subjected to in situ Kr ion irradiation at room temperature to 1 displacement-per-atom (a fluence of 2 × 1014 ions/cm2). Monolithic Ag has high density of small loops (4 nm in diameter), whereas Ni has fewer but much greater loops (exceeding 20 nm). In comparison, dislocation loops, ∼4 nm in diameter, were the major defects in the irradiated Ag/Ni 50 nm film, while the loops were barely observed in the Ag/Ni 5 nm film. At 0.2 dpa (0.4 × 1014 ions/cm), defect density in both monolithic Ag and Ni saturated at 1.6 and 0.2 × 1023/m3, compared with 0.8 × 1023/m3 in Ag/Ni 50 nm multilayer at a saturation fluence of ∼1 dpa (2 × 1014 ions/cm2). Direct observations of frequent loop absorption by layer interfaces suggest that these interfaces are efficient defect sinks. Ag/Ni 5 nm multilayer showed a superior morphological stability against radiation compared to Ag/Ni 50 nm film.

Factors influencing the ballistic impact resistance of elastomer-coated metal substrates

Abstract: An experimental study was carried out of various factors affecting the ballistic penetration resistance of elastomer/steel bilayers. For blunt penetrators, the contribution of the coating to performance is optimized using the hardest substrates, front surface placement of the elastomer, and (when normalizing by added weight) thin, ca. 2–3 mm, coatings. These results, none of which are predicted by existing models, evince the marked coupling of coating and substrate in the impact response of the bilayer. We also show that nanoparticle fillers have a modest effect on ballistic performance of polyurea coatings, changing the penetration velocity by a few percent or less. This contrasts with the linear dynamic mechanical behavior, which shows much more significant increases in energy absorption due to nano-reinforcement.

Symmetries in the representation of grain boundary-plane distributions

Abstract: Symmetries play a crucial role in the theoretical analysis and visualization of the five macroscopic grain boundary parameters, including the misorientation (three parameters) and the orientation of the boundary-plane (two parameters). The symmetry aspects of the misorientation spaces are very well documented and in this article all possible boundary-plane symmetries are enumerated for the 32 crystallographic point groups. It is observed that the boundary-plane spaces exhibit a wide variety of point group symmetries, which depend both on the crystallographic point group and on the corresponding misorientation (i.e. location in the fundamental zone). The list of symmetries presented here should serve as a guide for graphical representations of not only the distributions of boundary-plane orientations but also for the representation of boundary-plane related properties such as energy, mobility etc.

The crystallography of M23C6carbides in a martensitic 9% Cr steel after tempering, aging and creep

Abstract: The orientation relationships of M23C6 carbides in a martensitic creep resistant steel were studied. Almost all M23C6 carbides were located at (sub)grain boundaries after tempering and aging. The carbides were slightly elongated along the boundary planes and obeyed the Kurdjumov-Sachs, Nishiyama-Wassermann, and Pitsch orientation relationships as well as two new orientation relationships, that is and , with α-Fe matrix. On the other hand, the M23C6 particles in the neck portion of crept specimen lost their orientation relationships with α-Fe.

Studies of dislocations by field ion microscopy and atom probe tomography

Abstract: Alan Cottrell was among the first to recognize the potential of field ion microscopy for the atomic-scale study of crystal defects. The study of atomic configurations at the core of dislocations by this method proved to be unexpectedly difficult, because of the mechanical stresses imposed on the specimen by the high electric field. The development of atom probe tomography revitalized such studies. In particular, the atom probe technique permitted the first direct observations of solute atom distributions in the region of dislocations and confirmed the existence of so-called ‘Cottrell Atmospheres’ which are of great importance in the understanding of phenomena such as strain ageing. Atom probe studies of dislocation–solute interactions in a diverse range of alloy systems are outlined.

The most stable crystal structure and the formation processes of an order-disorder (OD) intermetallic phase in the Mg–Al–Gd ternary system

Abstract: The most stable crystal structure for an 18R-type order-disorder (OD) intermetallic phase in the Mg–Al–Gd ternary system and its formation processes by annealing at 525 °C have been investigated by means of transmission electron microscopy and scanning transmission electron microscopy. The most energetically favourable polytype at 525 °C is found to be the structurally simplest one, a maximum degree of order polytype (monoclinic, 1M, space group: C2/m), described with a single stacking vector in stacking six-layer structural blocks. The formation of this simplest polytype occurs in the sequence of (i) enrichment of Gd and Al in four consecutive close-packed planes while keeping the hexagonal close-packed stacking of the AB-type, (ii) formation of Al6Gd8 clusters in the four consecutive atomic planes, introducing a stacking fault in the middle of the four consecutive atomic planes, (iii) thickening by the formation of Gd and Al-enriched four consecutive planes at a distance of two or three close-packed Mg ...

Carbon in cubic and tetragonal ferrite

Abstract: It is generally assumed that the phase diagrams and equilibrium thermodynamic data that apply to the conventional Fe-C system, also are relevant to the case where supersaturated ferrite is in contact with austenite. It seems that this may not be correct, since a change in the symmetry of the ferrite unit cell in the presence of excess carbon has the potential to alter the nature of the phase equilibrium. The implications of these discoveries are presented in the context of the early recognition by Cottrell and co-workers, of the importance that should be attached to the tetragonal symmetry of the octahedral interstices in the ferritic allotrope of iron.

Strain avalanches in plasticity

Abstract: Plastic deformation at the mechanism level in all solids occurs in the form of discrete thermally activated individual stress relaxation events. While there are clear differences in mechanisms between dislocation mediated events in crystalline solids and by individual shear transformations in amorphous metals and semiconductors, such relaxation events interact strongly to form avalanches of strain bursts. In all cases the attendant distributions of released energy as amplitudes of acoustic emissions, or in serration amplitudes in flow stress, the levels of strain bursts are of fractal character with fractal exponents in the range from −1.5 to −2.0, having the character of phenomena of self-organized criticality, SOC. Here we examine strain avalanches in single crystals of ice, hcp metals, the jerky plastic deformations of nano-pillars of fcc and bcc metals deforming in compression, those in the plastic flow of bulk metallic glasses, all demonstrating the remarkable universality of character of plastic rel...

Bernal’s road to random packing and the structure of liquids

Abstract: Until the 1960s, liquids were generally regarded as either dense gases or disordered solids, and theoretical attempts at understanding their structures and properties were largely based on those concepts. Bernal, himself a crystallographer, was unhappy with either approach, preferring to regard simple liquids as ‘homogeneous, coherent and essentially irregular assemblages of molecules containing no crystalline regions’. He set about realizing this conceptual model through a detailed examination of the structures and properties of random packings of spheres. In order to test the relevance of the model to real liquids, ways had to be found to realize and characterize random packings. This was at a time when computing was slow and in its infancy, so he and his collaborators set about building models in the laboratory, and examining aspects of their structures in order to characterize them in ways which would enable comparison with the properties of real liquids. Some of the imaginative – often time consuming...

Influence of boundary structure and near neighbor crystallographic orientation on the dynamic damage evolution during shock loading

Abstract: The role of crystallographic orientation on damage evolution in ductile metals during shock loading has been investigated. By utilizing large-grained copper specimens, it has been shown that the development of intragranular damage, in the form of void growth and coalescence, is influenced by the grain orientation with respect to the applied load. Additionally, strain incompatibility and the inability to promote transmission or activation of secondary dislocation slip across a grain boundary, are proposed as the likely cause for intergranular failure. Finally, the free surface velocity profiles of each grain, specifically the decay of the oscillations after the pull-back, correlated well with the amount of damage measured within the respective grain.

The continuous stiffness measurement technique in nanoindentation intrinsically modifies the strength of the sample

Abstract: The continuous stiffness measurement (CSM) method is a well-established technique for obtaining elastic modulus and hardness data continuously during a nanoindentation process. The applicability of this technique is based on the assumption that the material properties of the specimen being tested are not affected by the imposed oscillatory excitation of the indenter. In this study, nanoindentation experiments on aluminium with a Berkovich tip show that nanometric oscillations of the CSM can lead to significant softening even though the indents made are micron-sized. The amount of softening is similar to that observed from macroscopic indentation tests with simultaneous ultrasonic excitation of similar displacement/amplitude ratios. Electron microscopy analyses reveal subgrain formation under the CSM nanoindents, which is also a feature of ultrasonically deformed bulk aluminium. The Oliver–Pharr and CSM method of hardness measurement are found to be erroneous with the CSM mode switched on.

Temperature effect on elastic modulus of thin films and nanocrystals

Abstract: The stability of nanoscale devices is directly related to elasticity and the effect of temperature on the elasticity of thin films and nanocrystals. The elastic instability induced by rising temperature will cause the failure of integrated circuits and other microelectronic devices in service. The temperature effect on the elastic modulus of thin films and nanocrystals is unclear although the temperature dependence of the modulus of bulk materials has been studied for over half a century. In this paper, a theoretical model of the temperature-dependent elastic modulus of thin films and nanocrystals is developed based on the physical definition of the modulus by considering the size effect of the related cohesive energy and the thermal expansion coefficient. Moreover, the temperature effect on the modulus of Cu thin films is simulated by the molecular dynamics method. The results indicate that the elastic modulus decreases with increasing temperature and the rate of the modulus decrease increases with reducing thickness of thin films. The theoretical predictions based on the model are consistent with the results of computational simulations, semi-continuum calculations and the experimental measurements for Cu, Si thin films and Pd nanocrystals.

HRTEM and HAADF-STEM tomography investigation of the heterogeneously formed S (Al2CuMg) precipitates in Al–Cu–Mg alloy

Abstract: The distribution of variants and three-dimensional (3D) configurations of the heterogeneously formed S (Al2CuMg) precipitates at dislocations, grain boundaries and the Al20Cu2Mn3 dispersoid/Al interfaces were studied in this research. By means of high resolution transmission electron microscopy, we systematically investigated the orientation relationships (ORs) between these heterogeneously formed S precipitates and the Al matrix, and further unraveled that the preferred orientation of S variants at grain boundaries and at dispersoid/Al interfaces are respectively associated with the OR between the precipitate habit plane and the grain boundary plane, and the OR between the precipitate habit plane and the interface plane. The inherent characteristic of the crystal structure of the S phase, i.e. the symmetry of the pentagonal subunit, was considered to be the fundamental factor determining the preference of the variant pair. By using high angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy t...

Influence of dispersoids on microstructure evolution and work hardening of aluminium alloys during tension and cold rolling

Abstract: The influence of dispersoids on work hardening of aluminium during tension and cold rolling has been studied by comparing Al–Mn alloys containing similar amounts of solutes but various dispersoid densities. The microstructure evolution with deformation strain was examined in transmission and scanning electron microscopy. It is found that a high density of fine dispersoids strengthens the materials significantly, but their strengthening effect diminishes as the strain increases. From a series of Bauschinger tests, it is found that the internal stress, due to particles, increases rapidly at the initial stage of deformation, but saturates at strains larger than 5%. It is concluded that the internal stress makes a small contribution to the work hardening and contributes to less than 10% of the total flow stress during monotonic loading at strains larger than 5%. The work-hardening behaviour has been correlated to the corresponding microstructure, and the strengthening mechanisms are discussed.

The mechanical response of core-shell structures for nanoporous metallic materials

Abstract: Nanoporous gold (NP-Au) exhibits microscale plasticity, but macroscopically fails in a relatively brittle manner. This current study suggests that a core-shell structure can increase both ductility and strength of NP-Au. A core Au foam structure was created using conventional dealloying methods with average ligament size of 60 nm. Nickel was then electroplated on to the NP-Au with layer thicknesses ranging from 2.5 nm to 25 nm. Nanoindentation demonstrated a significant increase in the hardness of the coated Np-Au, to about five times of that of the pure Np-Au, and a decrease in creep by increasing the thickness of the coated Ni layer. Molecular dynamics simulations of Au–Ni ligaments show the same trend of strengthening behavior with increasing Ni thickness suggesting that the strengthening mechanisms of the Np-Au are comparable to those for fcc nano ligaments. The simulations demonstrate two different strengthening mechanisms with the increased activity of the twins in plated Au–Ni ligaments, which lead...