Anomalous mechanical behavior of nanocrystalline binary alloys under extreme conditions

S. A. Turnage, M. Rajagopalan, K. A. Darling, P. Garg, C. Kale, B. G. Bazehhour, I. Adlakha, B. C. Hornbuckle, C. L. Williams, Pedro Peralta, Kiran Solanki

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

45 Scopus citations

Abstract

Fundamentally, material flow stress increases exponentially at deformation rates exceeding, typically, ~103 s-1, resulting in brittle failure. The origin of such behavior derives from the dislocation motion causing non-Arrhenius deformation at higher strain rates due to drag forces from phonon interactions. Here, we discover that this assumption is prevented from manifesting when microstructural length is stabilized at an extremely fine size (nanoscale regime). This divergent strain-rate-insensitive behavior is attributed to a unique microstructure that alters the average dislocation velocity, and distance traveled, preventing/delaying dislocation interaction with phonons until higher strain rates than observed in known systems; thus enabling constant flow-stress response even at extreme conditions. Previously, these extreme loading conditions were unattainable in nanocrystalline materials due to thermal and mechanical instability of their microstructures; thus, these anomalies have never been observed in any other material. Finally, the unique stability leads to high-temperature strength maintained up to 80% of the melting point (~1356 K).

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number2699
JournalNature communications
Volume9
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 1 2018

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Chemistry
  • General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
  • General
  • General Physics and Astronomy

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