Ideal maximum strengths and defect-induced softening in nanocrystalline-nanotwinned metals

Ke, Xing; Ye, Jianchao; Pan, Zhiliang; Geng, Jie; Besser, Matt F.; Qu, Dongxia; Caro, Alfredo; Marian, Jaime; Ott, Ryan T.; Wang, Y. Morris; Sansoz, Frederic

doi:10.1038/s41563-019-0484-3

Ideal maximum strengths and defect-induced softening in nanocrystalline-nanotwinned metals

Journal Article · Mon Sep 23 00:00:00 EDT 2019 · Nature Materials

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-019-0484-3· OSTI ID:1572616

Ke, Xing ^[1]; ^[2]; Pan, Zhiliang ^[1]; ^[3]; Besser, Matt F. ^[3]; Qu, Dongxia ^[2]; Caro, Alfredo ^[4]; Marian, Jaime ^[5]; Ott, Ryan T. ^[3]; ^[2]; ^[1]

Univ. of Vermont, Burlington, VT (United States)
Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Ames Lab., Ames, IA (United States)
Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Univ. of California, Los Angeles, CA (United States)

Strengthening of metals through nanoscale grain boundaries and coherent twin boundaries is manifested by a maximum strength—a phenomenon known as Hall–Petch breakdown. Different softening mechanisms are considered to occur for nanocrystalline and nanotwinned materials. Here, we report nanocrystalline-nanotwinned Ag materials that exhibit two strength transitions dissimilar from the above mechanisms. Atomistic simulations show three distinct strength regions as twin spacing decreases, delineated by positive Hall–Petch strengthening to grain-boundary-dictated (near-zero Hall–Petch slope) mechanisms and to softening (negative Hall–Petch slope) induced by twin-boundary defects. An ideal maximum strength is reached for a range of twin spacings below 7 nm. We synthesized nanocrystalline-nanotwinned Ag with hardness 3.05 GPa—42 higher than the current record, by segregating trace concentrations of Cu impurity (< 1.0 weight (wt)%). The microalloy retains excellent electrical conductivity and remains stable up to 653 K; 215 K better than for pure nanotwinned Ag. In conclusion, this breaks the existing trade-off between strength and electrical conductivity, and demonstrates the potential for creating interface-dominated materials with unprecedented mechanical and physical properties.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC52-07NA27344

OSTI ID:: 1572616

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1601107
OSTI ID: 1573490

Report Number(s):: LLNL-JRNL--680480; 804569

Journal Information:: Nature Materials, Journal Name: Nature Materials Journal Issue: 11 Vol. 18; ISSN 1476-1122

Publisher:: Springer Nature - Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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