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Title: Nanotwin assisted reversible formation of low angle grain boundary upon reciprocating shear load

Journal Article · · Acta Materialia

Severe plastic deformation of metals is known to lead to superior properties that cannot be achieved by any traditional metallurgic process. Origin of the superior properties is perceived to be closely associated with grain refinement, a fundamental process during the severe plastic deformation, which is essentially the formation of new grain boundaries. However, the atomistic mechanism of grain boundary formation remains largely obscure. Here, by using in-situ transmission electron microscopy and molecular dynamic simulation, we reveal, for the first time at atomic level, the shear-induced low-angle grain boundary (LAGB) formation processes in Au nanocrystal. In this work, we discover the LAGB formation is accomplished through inward propagation of nanotwins accompanied by dislocations gliding on the twin boundaries, a nanotwin-mediated dislocation slip mechanism, which shows reversible characteristic under reciprocating shear load and is affected by the nanocrystal microstructure and orientation. Our result unveils unprecedented atomistic insights on shear driven grain refinement towards nanostructure of superior properties.

Research Organization:
Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States). Environmental Molecular Sciences Lab. (EMSL)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-76RL01830
OSTI ID:
1922047
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1960898
Report Number(s):
PNNL-SA-167698
Journal Information:
Acta Materialia, Vol. 230; ISSN 1359-6454
Publisher:
ElsevierCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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