Crystal twinning

Abstract: Part I General introduction. Formal geometry of crystal lattices. The theory of reaction rates. The thermodynamics of irreversable processes. The structure of real metals. Solids solutions. The theory of dislocations. Polycrystalline aggregates. Diffusion in the solid state. The classical theory of nucleation. Theory of thermally activated growth. Formal theory of transformation kinetics. Part II Growth from the vapour phase. Solidification and melting. Polymorphic Changes. Precipitation from supersaturated solid solution. Eutectoidal transformations. Order-disorder transformations. Recovery recrystalisation and grain growth. Deformation twinning. Characteristics of martensic transformations. Crystallography of martensitic transformations. Kinetics of martensitic transformations. Rapid solidification. Bainite steels. Shape memory alloys.

Abstract: Strains of nearly 0.2% have been induced along [001] in unstressed crystals of Ni2MnGa with magnetic fields of 8 kOe applied at 265 K. These stains are associated with the superelastic motion of twin boundaries in the martensitic phase that is stable below about 274 K.

Abstract: An improved description of copper‐ and iron‐cylinder impact (Taylor) test results has been obtained through the use of dislocation‐mechanics‐based constitutive relations in the Lagrangian material dynamics computer program EPIC‐2. The effects of strain hardening, strain‐rate hardening, and thermal softening based on thermal activation analysis have been incorporated into a reasonably accurate constitutive relation for copper. The relation has a relatively simple expression and should be applicable to a wide range of fcc materials. The effect of grain size is included. A relation for iron is also presented. It also has a simple expression and is applicable to other bcc materials but is presently incomplete, since the important effect of deformation twinning in bcc materials is not included. A possible method of acounting for twinning is discussed and will be reported on more fully in future work. A main point made here is that each material structure type (fcc, bcc, hcp) will have its own constitutive beha...

Abstract: An equiatomic CoCrFeMnNi high-entropy alloy, which crystallizes in the face-centered cubic (fcc) crystal structure, was produced by arc melting and drop casting. The drop-cast ingots were homogenized, cold rolled and recrystallized to obtain single-phase microstructures with three different grain sizes in the range 4–160 μm. Quasi-static tensile tests at an engineering strain rate of 10−3 s−1 were then performed at temperatures between 77 and 1073 K. Yield strength, ultimate tensile strength and elongation to fracture all increased with decreasing temperature. During the initial stages of plasticity (up to ∼2% strain), deformation occurs by planar dislocation glide on the normal fcc slip system, {1 1 1}〈1 1 0〉, at all the temperatures and grain sizes investigated. Undissociated 1/2〈1 1 0〉 dislocations were observed, as were numerous stacking faults, which imply the dissociation of several of these dislocations into 1/6〈1 1 2〉 Shockley partials. At later stages (∼20% strain), nanoscale deformation twins were observed after interrupted tests at 77 K, but not in specimens tested at room temperature, where plasticity occurred exclusively by the aforementioned dislocations which organized into cells. Deformation twinning, by continually introducing new interfaces and decreasing the mean free path of dislocations during tensile testing (“dynamic Hall–Petch”), produces a high degree of work hardening and a significant increase in the ultimate tensile strength. This increased work hardening prevents the early onset of necking instability and is a reason for the enhanced ductility observed at 77 K. A second reason is that twinning can provide an additional deformation mode to accommodate plasticity. However, twinning cannot explain the increase in yield strength with decreasing temperature in our high-entropy alloy since it was not observed in the early stages of plastic deformation. Since strong temperature dependencies of yield strength are also seen in binary fcc solid solution alloys, it may be an inherent solute effect, which needs further study.

Abstract: Giant magnetic-field-induced strain of about 9.5% was observed at ambient temperature in a magnetic field of less than 1 T in NiMnGa orthorhombic seven-layered martensitic phase. The strain proved to be caused by magnetic-field-controlled twin boundary motion. According to an analysis of x-ray diffraction data, the crystal structure of this phase is nearly orthorhombic, having lattice parameters a=0.619 nm, b=0.580 nm, and c=0.553 nm (in cubic parent phase coordinates) at ambient temperature. Seven-layer shuffling-type modulation along the (110)[110]p system was recorded. The results of mechanical tests and magnetic anisotropy property measurements are also reported.