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High entropy alloys (HEAs) have been the subject of significant research in recent years due in part to their excellent mechanical properties and unique microstructure. Chemical disorder in these alloys is thought to lead to a complex energetic environment that affects the nucleation and movement of dislocations. In this study the development of deformation substructures is assessed in the Cantor HEA (CoCrFeMnNi) due to quasistatic and dynamic compression. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM/TEM) techniques are used to image and quantify dislocation density. When increasing the strain rate from 10⁻³ s⁻¹ to 5000 s⁻¹ we observe an increase in the overall dislocation density which leads to the formation of deformation twins. Further at a rate of 8000 s⁻¹, both deformation twins and microbands become operative plasticity modes, which are usually associated with different extremes of stacking fault energy. To relate this plastic response to chemical disorder, atomistic calculations are used to compute the generalized stacking fault energy curve and approximate the temperature dependence of the intrinsic stacking fault energy for the Cantor alloy, which reveals significant local variation in these critical energetic parameters associated with dislocation and twinning behaviors.

Non-metallic contamination is a practically unavoidable byproduct of commercial synthesis processes; however, non-metallic impurities are often overlooked when considering material design and performance of nanostructured materials. Importantly, there is disputing evidence as to whether non-metallic contamination stabilize or destabilize nanocrystalline materials against grain growth. Furthermore, it is unclear if non-metallic contamination has a significant impact on hardness of nanocrystalline systems. In this work, two nanocrystalline Ni-28at%W alloys with different impurity concentrations were produced via mechanical alloying to directly evaluate the effect of contamination on thermal stability and hardness of nanostructured materials. The alloys were isothermally annealed at several temperatures, and the microstructures were compared by applying atom probe tomography and aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy. It was determined that impurity concentrations can be substantially reduced by using specific milling media and pre-milling reduction processes. Furthermore, the clean and contaminated alloys exhibited similar thermal stabilities against grain growth, but the clean alloy displayed a 100% improvement in hardness despite a similar grain size and distribution of second phases. Impurity phases including CrO_x, Ni₆W₆C, and trapped Ar pores were also identified and likely contributed to the thermal stability and mechanical properties observed in this study. Overall, this work suggests that impurities my not always be detrimental to thermomechanical behavior of nanocrystalline systems.

Domain switching is one of the essential contributions for strain in ferroelectric materials. In this work, we utilize anisotropic composition gradients (CGs) to induce anisotropic orientation of both defects and spontaneous dipoles, aiming to enhance the contribution of domain switching on strain in KTa_1–xNb_xO₃ single crystal. In this way, a remarkable improvement (over 60%) of strain is obtained in KTa_0.58Nb_0.42O₃ single crystal along the smallest CG direction, achieving a large unipolar strain, i.e. 0.29%, at low driving electric field 10 kV cm^–1. It is attributed to the preferred orientation of both defects and spontaneous dipoles along the largest CG directions, then improving the contribution of domain switching on strain along the smallest CG direction. Particularly, owing to the existence of Ein as recoverable forces caused by both flexoelectric fields and defects pinning effect, KTN show nearly zero remnant strain (s_rem) along with the small CG directions, corresponding to the double P-E loops. Moreover, the V–PFM images confirm that CGs can influence the microdomain structures. Thus, designing special anisotropic CGs materials is expected to be a novel method to improve the strain properties and a potential way to flexibly design next-generation anisotropic piezoelectric materials.

The multiscale structures in a Pd₈₂Si₁₈ binary bulk metallic glass before and after deformation were studied using electron microscopies, high-energy synchrotron X-ray diffraction, and small-angle scattering techniques. The experimental results revealed an enhancement of hierarchical structure heterogeneities on multiple length scales after deformation. Hierarchical multiple shear bands of high number density were observed after bending, introducing complex but periodically distributed residual strain. Pair distribution function analysis revealed that the connectivity of the short-range clusters on the medium-range scale determines the packing density difference between the tension side and the compression side in the sample after bending. In-situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction study also revealed a transformation of connection modes among short-range clusters under uniaxial tension and compression, which is consistent with those of triaxial tension/compression parts upon bending in Pd₈₂Si₁₈ glassy alloys. The nanoscale heterogeneities for metallic glasses after deformation observed by small-angle scattering and transmission electron microscopy may be attributed to the nanoscale amorphous phase separation and interacting multiple shear bands enhanced by plastic deformation. Our findings suggested that the enhancement of hierarchical heterogeneous structure on multiple length scales may explain the excellent plasticity of Pd-Si glassy alloys, deepening the understanding of structure-property relation during plastic deformation in metallic glasses.

The morphologies of proeutectic Al3Sc growing in an undercooled hypereutectic Al-2 wt.% Sc alloy melt with varied cooling rates were carefully examined under electron microscopes, in order to reveal its different growth mechanisms. At a low cooling rate (~1 K·s ^{− 1}), as expected, the formation of proeutectic Al3Sc was governed by the lateral growth, exposing six flat {100} facets. At an intermediate cooling rate (~400 K·s ^{− 1}), proeutectic Al3Sc grew in a dendritic manner, with well-defined backbones extending in its eight 〈111〉 directions and paraboloidal dendrite tips, although the dendrite tips and side-branches turned into faceted steps at a late growth stage, when the lateral growth prevailed again. At a high cooling rate (~1000 K·s ^{− 1}), proeutectic Al3Sc primarily solidified into an entirely seaweed particle, which was composed of interior compact seaweeds and exterior fractal seaweeds. The detailed formation mechanisms of the proeutectic Al3Sc in the latter two situations, to the author's knowledge, are first clarified with growth models in the present work. Various morphological stability criteria were used to verify the proposed dendritic and seaweed growth models, by examining characteristic length scales in the structure, such as the radius of the dendrite tip, the interspacing between seaweed branches, and the size of destabilized sphere at an early growth stage.

Understanding the local strain enhancement and lattice distortion resulting from different microstructure features in metal alloys is crucial in many engineering processes. The development of heterogeneous strain not only plays an important role in the work hardening of the material but also in other processes such as recrystallization and damage inheritance and fracture. Isolating the contribution of precipitates to the development of heterogeneous strain can be challenging due to the presence of grain boundaries or other microstructure features that might cause ambiguous interpretation. In this work a statistical analysis of local strains measured by electron back scatter diffraction and crystal plasticity based simulations are combined to determine the effect of M₂₃C₆ carbides on the deformation of an annealed AISI 420 steel. Results suggest that carbides provide a more effective hardening at low plastic strain by a predominant long-range interaction mechanism than that of a pure ferritic microstructure. Carbides not only influence local strain directly by elastic incompatibilities with the ferritic matrix, but also the spatial interactions between ferrite grains. Carbides placed at the grain boundaries enhanced the development of strain near ferrite grain boundaries. However the positive effect of carbides and grain boundaries to develop high local strains is mitigated at regions with high density of carbides and ferrite grain boundaries.

Solute segregation to individual grain boundaries is used by design to produce strong and stable nanocrystalline metallic alloys. Grain-boundary segregation, however, is known to cause adverse embrittlement effects from a strain-localization failure mechanism that imposes significant material limitations for structural applications. Here, using atomistic simulations, it is discovered that heterogeneous Ni segregation in nanocrystalline Ni-mixed Ag alloys dramatically shuts down localized shear bands during plastic deformation, while simultaneously increasing the tensile strength. Nanocrystalline Cu-mixed Ag metals are predicted to exhibit standard homogeneous Cu segregation and a tensile strength that saturates above a solute concentration of 8 at.% due to glass-like shear localization induced by grain boundaries. By contrast, it is found that heterogeneous Ni segregation in nanocrystalline Ag-Ni alloys forms solute-rich clusters along interfaces leading to strain delocalization at high strain and continuous strengthening at high solute concentrations up to 15 at.%. This study reveals the importance of heterogeneous versus homogeneous segregation behaviors on strain localization and points to a fundamentally new strategy to design failure-resistant nanostructured materials through grain boundary segregation engineering.

This study focuses on the role of pyramidal 〈c + a〉 dislocations in the grain refinement mechanism in the Ti-6Al-4V alloy with an initial rolling texture. A large number of pyramidal 〈c + a〉 dislocations were activated in the sample subjected to the severe shot peening process. Two important roles of pyramidal 〈c + a〉 dislocations were discovered. First, pyramidal 〈c + a〉 slip coordinates the large c-axis strain, thereby achieving generalized plastic flow, especially in nanograins. Second, the unique low-angle grain boundaries (LAGBs) with basal-pyramidal dislocation locks (prismatic 〈c〉 and prismatic 〈c + a〉 dislocations) were produced for the first time by pyramidal 〈c + a〉 interacting with basal 〈a〉 dislocations. This unique low-energy boundary greatly enhances the stability of the strain-induced grain boundary and dislocation density (~6.6 × 10¹⁵ m ^{− 2} in nanograins). The grain refinement process contains three types of subdivision modes: (I) dislocation walls with pyramidal 〈c + a〉 dislocations in coarse grains; (II) basal 〈a〉 intersecting with prismatic 〈a〉 dislocations in coarse grains; and (III) basal 〈a〉 intersecting with pyramidal 〈c + a〉 dislocations in coarse grains, ultrafine-grains and nanograins. The occurrence of slip modes depends on the initial texture and texture evolution during dynamic recrystallization. Besides, Hall-Petch breakdown at the nanoscale was found and is attributed to the decreasing critical resolved shear stress of pyramidal 〈c + a〉 slip at the nanoscale. This study provides a new approach for the design of stable nanostructured hexagonal close-packed metals by the unique LAGBs with basal-pyramidal dislocation locks.

In this paper, we investigate the residual deformation field in the vicinity of nanoscratch tests using two orientations of a Berkovich tip on an (001) Cu single crystal. We compare the deformation with that from indentation, in an attempt to understand the mechanisms of deformation in tangential sliding. The lattice rotation fields are mapped experimentally using high-resolution electron backscatter diffraction (HR-EBSD) on cross-sections prepared using focused ion beam (FIB). A physically-based crystal plasticity finite element model (CPFEM) is used to simulate the lattice rotation fields, and provide insight into the 3D rotation field surrounding a nano-scratch experiment, as it transitions from an initial static indentation to a steady-state scratch. The CPFEM simulations capture the experimental rotation fields with good fidelity, and show how the rotations about the scratch direction are reversed as the indenter moves away from the initial indentation.

Grain growth accompanied by shear band formation shortens lifetime of nanostructured metals upon cyclic loading. Although the occurrence of structural instabilities was reported frequently, the difficulty to detect and track their initiation and evolution using standard testing routines prevents an in-depth understanding of the underlying mechanisms. Usage of samples from different synthesis routes tested under varying conditions further complicates this issue. Here, cyclic high pressure torsion is presented as an alternative method to mimic low cycle fatigue. It allows to study initiation and evolution of structural instabilities reproducibly up to enormous accumulated strains, not accessible in conventional fatigue tests. It enabled a general understanding of the processes causing structural instabilities in nanostructured nickel tested with different parameters such as strain amplitude or temperature. Grain coarsening starts from the very first cycles and initiates strain localization in shear bands. Accumulation of cyclic strain induces progressive growth of the shear band thickness accompanied by further grain growth within these bands. Clearly, cyclic strain amplifies grain coarsening suggesting that not the applied stress alone forces boundary motion. This is emphasized further as preferential texture components which facilitate cyclic slip evolve. Although the imposed cyclic strain drives grain growth it stagnates at certain grain sizes. Experiments at 77 K revealed identical instabilities, proving that for nickel boundary migration occurred predominantly mechanically driven.

Several theoretical studies have reported that the geometry and structure of grain boundaries in polycrystalline materials could impose a significant effect on the Hall-Petch slope. However, experimental observations are primarily limited by the ability of the techniques to accurately quantify the grain boundary strength and validate these theoretical models. Using high-resolution electron backscatter diffraction (HR-EBSD), the local stress tensor ahead of a slip band blocked by a grain boundary was quantified and coupled with a continuum dislocation pile-up model to assess the barrier strength of specific grain boundaries to specific slip systems, referred to as micro-Hall-Petch coefficient. For basal slip system in a deformed Mg-4Al alloy, the micro-Hall-Petch coefficient varied significantly, from 0.054 to 0.184 for nine different grain boundaries. These results were correlated with geometric descriptors of the respective grain boundaries, with three-dimensional GB profile additionally measured via focused ion beam milling. It was found that the angle between the two slip plane traces on the grain boundary plane was the most sensitive parameter affecting , followed by the angle between the slip directions. A functional form for calculation of depending on these two angles is proposed to augment crystal plasticity constitutive models with slip resistance dependent on some measure of the grain size. The method allows a new pathway to calibrate grain size strengthening parameters in crystal plasticity models, allowing further computational investigations of the interrelationship between texture, grain morphology, and the Hall Petch effect.

CuZr-based alloys are being considered as potential shape memory alloys for use in high-temperature applications. We have conducted a study on the effects of several alloying elements on the shape memory properties of these alloys using polycrystalline thin-film samples. Here we report on the explosive formation of martensite in supercooled CuZr, CuZrNi and CuZrCo samples. This explosive transformation behavior is characterized by the following observations: 1) The high-temperature austenitic phase can be supercooled below the martensite finish temperature Mf. At a critical temperature below Mf, austenite transforms to martensite across the entire sample in less than a microsecond. 2) The critical temperature has a narrow distribution and decreases slightly with higher cooling rate. 3) Observation of supercooling and explosive transformation behavior depends on the temperature history above the austenite finish temperature Af. If a sample is quenched immediately after heating above Af, martensite forms gradually on cooling below Ms; if a sample is allowed to dwell a few seconds above Af, the martensite forms explosively. We suggest that the gradual transformation proceeds by martensite growth on defects that accumulate during successive transformation cycles. If the sample is allowed to dwell at a temperature above Af, however, these defects are annihilated and the transformation is nucleation-limited. Nucleation of martensite then requires significant supercooling. The defect annihilation process is highly sensitive to temperature and has an apparent activation energy of 326 kJ/mol, which is too large for a simple diffusion-limited process. Transmission electron microscopy of CuZrCo samples suggests that the defects may be related to the presence of residual martensite.

We investigate phase stability in all binary alloys comprised of elements from groups 4 (Ti, Zr, Hf), 5 (V, Nb, Ta) and 6 (Cr, Mo, W) of the periodic table. First-principles calculations of the energy landscapes along crystallographic pathways that connect bcc to hcp and bcc to ω show that group 4 elements are very distinct from group 5 and 6 elements. While group 5 and 6 elements are stable in bcc, group 4 elements favor hcp and ω and are predicted to be dynamically unstable in bcc. A comprehensive first-principles investigation of the 36 refractory binary systems using statistical mechanics techniques reveals six distinct classes of alloys, each with a unique phase diagram topology. The predictions of this study are in excellent agreement with previous experimental work. One exception is a class of refractory alloys with high temperature miscibility gaps that are not predicted with the methods used in this work. Our calculations predict the stability of a low-temperature Laves phase in the Nb-V binary that has yet to be observed experimentally. The relationships between alloy chemistry and high-temperature phase stability revealed in this study provide a basis for the systematic design of multicomponent disordered refractory alloys.

The literature has accumulated plenty of interesting findings of electromigration-induced phenomena in pure Sn. Most of the researches revealed the thermodynamically steady states of materials under electromigration. We presented a comprehensive study of electromigration in pure Sn at 5.5–7.5 × 103 A/cm² for 5.5 h revealing the effects on crystallinity, microstructure, and electrical property. The present work provided a divergent explanation about the electrical property variation under electromigration by introducing the crystallinity change aspect, as evidenced by the in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD) and high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) investigations. The in situ XRD analysis showed an integrated intensity decline of diffraction peaks (up to a 90% reduction rate) and the buildup of lattice strain (up to 0.68% beyond the yield point) within the pure Sn strip, revealing a crystallinity degradation phenomenon under electromigration. The atomic-scale lattice appearance showed direct evidence of dislocation production under electromigration as a result of the plastic deformation. The introduction of dislocations formed sub-lattices with various crystal orientations that were responsible for the integrated intensity decline. The increase in electrical resistance after the electromigration experiment corresponded to the consequences of the observed lattice disruption and lattice strain accumulation phenomena. The thermal benchmark experiments evidenced the predominant athermal electromigration effect, rather than the thermal one, on the crystallinity and electrical resistance responses to electromigration.

High angular resolution electron backscatter diffraction (HR-EBSD) was coupled with focused ion beam (FIB) slicing to characterize the shape of the plastic zone in terms of geometrically necessary dislocations (GNDs) in W single crystal in 3 dimensions. Cantilevers of similar size with a notch were fabricated by FIB and were deformed inside a scanning electron microscope at different temperatures (21 °C, 100 °C and 200 °C) just above the micro-scale brittle-to-ductile transition (BDT). J-integral testing was performed to analyse crack growth and determine the fracture toughness. At all three temperatures the plastic zone was found to be larger close to the free surface than inside the specimen, similar to macro-scale tension tests. However, at higher temperature, the 3D shape of the plastic zone changes from being localized in front of the crack tip to a butterfly-like distribution, shielding more efficiently the crack tip and inhibiting crack propagation. A comparison was made between two identically deformed samples, which were FIB-sliced from two different directions, to evaluate the reliability of the GND density estimation by HR-EBSD. The analysis of the distribution of the Nye tensor components was used to differentiate between the types of GNDs nucleated in the sample. The role of different types of dislocations in the plastic zone is discussed and we confirm earlier findings that the micro-scale BDT of W is mainly controlled by the nucleation of screw dislocations in front of the crack tip.

Recent experiments suggest that Suzuki segregation may play an important role during deformation in Ni-base superalloys at intermediate temperatures. In this study, a segregation isotherm model incorporating segregation enthalpy from ab initio calculations is proposed to predict quantitatively solute enrichment at superlattice intrinsic stacking faults (SISF) within the γ’ precipitates in Ni-base superalloys. A sublattice model is employed to describe the γ’ phase. A strong correlation between segregation enthalpy and solute enrichment is found. Even though the segregation enthalpy is relatively small, the predicted solute enrichment is consistent with experimental observations. The simulation predictions also suggest a strong cross-correlation among different alloying elements. For example, it is found that segregation of Co on the Ni sublattice at the fault draws segregation of Cr that has a positive segregation enthalpy at the fault without the presence of Co. Such quantitative predictions of equilibrium segregation of solutes at stacking faults in γ’ precipitates and its effect on the stacking fault energy could aid the investigation of deformation mechanisms and help the design of superalloys.

Magnesium (Mg) is the lightest structural metal. However, the poor formability of Mg alloys to great extent limits their applications in making structural parts. Formability is strongly correlated to both high tensile elongation and large work hardening capacity. Here, we report a new Mg−Al−Ca alloy in which a majority of deformable Al₂Ca precipitates form while the formation of Laves phases of Mg₁₇Al₁₂ and Mg₂Ca seems suppressed. Al₂Ca precipitates impede dislocation motion, leading to large work hardening. Then, Al₂Ca precipitates deform with dislocations and stacking faults under the enhanced flow stress, which relieve local stress concentration and improve tensile elongation. In addition, solutes Al and Ca suppress twin nucleation while promoting 〈c + a〉 dislocations in Mg. This new Mg−Al−Ca alloy demonstrates one of the highest combinations of tensile elongation and work hardening capacity among existing Mg alloys.

New-generation multi-phase martensitic steels derive their high strength from the body-centered cubic (BCC) phase and high toughness from transformation of the metastable face-centered cubic (FCC) austenite that transforms into martensite upon loading. In spite of its critical importance, the in-situ transformation strain (or “shape deformation” tensor), which controls ductility and toughness, has never been measured in any alloy where the BCC lath martensite forms and has never been connected to underlying material properties. Here, we measure the in-situ transformation strain in a classic Fe-Ni-Mn alloy using high-resolution digital image correlation (HR-DIC). The experimentally obtained results can only be interpreted using a recent theory of lath martensite crystallography. The predicted in-situ transformation strain agrees with the measurements, simultaneously demonstrating the method and validating the theory. Theory then predicts that increasing the FCC to BCC lattice parameter ratio substantially increases the in-situ transformation strain magnitude. This new correlation is demonstrated using data on existing steels. These results thus establish a new additional basic design principle for ductile and tough alloys: control of the lattice parameter ratio by alloying. This provides a new path for development of even tougher advanced high-strength steels.

Being lightweight, energy-efficient and environmentally benign, magnesium alloys present great potential for various industrial applications. However, they possess relatively low mechanical properties and need to be strengthened. During the last decade, significant effort has been directed towards preparation of strong nanocrystalline (NC) Mg alloys, although because of the limited plasticity inherent to HCP metals, the grain size of Mg was rarely refined below 1000 nm and the yield strength seldom exceeded 500 MPa. Here, by means of a conventional industrial method of rotary swaging, we prepared bulk NC Mg–Gd–Y–Zr alloys with an average grain size of 80 nm and a dimension of ∅3 mm × 1000 mm. The further-aged NC Mg alloy exhibits the yield strength of 650 MPa and the ultimate tensile strength of 710 MPa, the highest such values published for bulk Mg alloys. Fracture surface observation suggested a ductile inter-granular fracture in the NC Mg alloys. The high strength are attributed to nano-grain, intra-granular Gd rich clustering, inter-granular solutes segregation, β′ precipitation, dislocation and solution strengthening contributions, among which the nano-grain strengthening is dominant. The nano-grain formation results from the large number of mechanical twins, deformation bands and stacking faults induced by the high strain rate of swaging. Our work advances the industrial-scale production of bulk NC Mg alloys by exploring a simple and low-cost fabrication technique.

Previous studies have shown that the orientation relationships which develop in hetero-epitaxy are strongly influenced by the alignment of steps in the deposit with the pre-existing steps of the substrate. In this paper we use a combination of experiments with computer simulations to identify the important influence of substrate step structure on the eventual orientation relationships that develop in the deposit. We have made use of Ag deposited on Ni as it has been used extensively as a model system for the study of hetero-epitaxy. This system displays a large lattice mismatch of 16%. It is shown that on any surface vicinal to Ni(111), which has two possible kinds of 〈110〉 steps (A-steps with {100} ledges and B-steps with {111} ledges), a Ag deposit adopts a single orientation relationship because only A-steps remain stable in the presence of Ag.

In this work the velocity of an isolated growth ledge located on an interphase boundary is solved by the method of matched asymptotic expansion where the “inner” solution is obtained by a conformal mapping procedure. In contrast to previous work, both a constant flux and local equilibrium is maintained at all points along the step face when formulating the solution. The matching procedure leads to a solvability condition for the problem, which in turn yields an analytic solution for the Peclet number as a function of supersaturation. The theoretical treatment is extended, in an approximate way, to the case of multiple steps. Predictions from the matched asymptotic expansion formulation are compared to experimental results for BCC precipitate growth in the Ni–Cr system.

An unusual tensile deformation behaviour in the form of a propagating band along the sample gauge was observed in two neutron-irradiated 316 stainless steel samples during room-temperature tests, leading to a combination of high strength and high ductility. These bands were not observed in an unirradiated counterpart. With the help of in situ high-energy synchrotron x-ray diffraction, the phase-specific crystal information was tracked at different deformation levels in each sample. Post-irradiation and post-deformation samples were examined using electron microscopy to characterize various microstructural features. All samples displayed a deformation-induced martensitic phase transformation, which was identified as a second strain-hardening mechanism accompanying the dislocation hardening. The deformation-induced martensitic transformation was rationalized by the effect of applied stress on the effective martensite start temperature. The results showed that the irradiation did not alter the dislocation hardening and the martensitic transformation mechanisms, but the increased yield strength in irradiated materials facilitated the localized phase transformation at the onset of plastic deformation, in contrast to the unirradiated material which required pre-straining. The hardening effect of the martensitic transformation reduced the tendency towards necking and mitigated the loss of ductility in the irradiated material by carrying the deformation in the form of a propagating band. Despite the beneficial effect from the martensitic transformation, this study indicates that this mechanism cannot not be activated at typical operating temperatures of nuclear reactors.

The kinetic evolution of a multiplicity of metastable grain boundaries (GBs) under fast driving conditions are studied by atomistic modeling. Assisted with an enhanced statistical analysis, the energetic evolution of GBs over a broad metastability-temperature space is mapped out, wherein two distinct regimes—an ageing regime and a rejuvenating regime—are retrieved with high fidelity. By comparing the results under various conditions (e.g. random perturbations, isothermal annealing, and fast heating/cooling), it is shown that such ageing/rejuvenating mechanism map is universal, irrespective of the actual stimuli used to elicit the metastable GBs. The ageing/rejuvenating phenomena are demonstrated to stem from the energy imbalance of uphill climbing and downhill dropping during sequential transitions in the system's potential energy landscape. Without the necessity of introducing free parameters, such model can reconcile experimentally measured hardness variation of nanocrystalline metals subjected to femto-second laser irradiation, and it therefore provides a novel perspective on achieving a plurality of interfacial states and facilitating previously inaccessible property regimes.

CrCoNi-based high-entropy alloys have demonstrated outstanding mechanical properties, particularly at cryogenic temperatures. Here we investigate the fatigue-crack propagation properties of the equiatomic, single-phase, face-centered cubic, medium-entropy alloy (MEA), CrCoNi, that displays exceptional strength, ductility and toughness, all of which are enhanced at cryogenic temperatures. Fatigue-crack growth is examined, at a load ratio of 0.1 over a wide range of growth rates, from ~10−11 to >10−7 m/cycle, at room (293 K) and cryogenic (198 K, 77 K) temperatures for two grain sizes (~7 and 68 µm), with emphasis on near-threshold behavior. We find that the ΔKth fatigue thresholds are increased with decreasing temperature and increasing grain size: from 5.7 MPa√m at 293 K to 8 MPa√m at 77 K in the fine-grained alloy, and from 9.4 MPa√m at 293 K to 13.7 MPa√m at 77 K in the coarse-grained alloy. Mechanistically, transgranular cracking at 293 K transitions to a mixture of intergranular and transgranular at cryogenic temperatures, where the increased propensity of nano-twins appears to inhibit growth rates by deflecting the crack path. However, the main factor affecting near-threshold behavior is roughness-induced crack closure from interference between the crack flanks, which is enhanced by the rougher fracture surfaces at low temperatures, particularly in the coarser-grained microstructure. Fatigue-crack propagation behavior in CrCoNi is comparable to nickel-based superalloys but is superior to that of the high-entropy CrMnFeCoNi (Cantor) alloy and many high-strength steels, making the CrCoNi alloy an excellent candidate material for safety-critical applications, particularly involving low temperatures.

Grain boundary engineering (GBE) is a thermomechanical processing strategy to enhance the physical and mechanical properties of polycrystalline metals by purposely incorporating special types of grain boundaries—such as twin boundaries (TB)—in the microstructure. Because of the multiple strain-annealing cycles involved, conventional GBE is not directly applicable to near-net-shape parts, such as those produced via additive manufacturing (AM) technology. In this study, we explore a different GBE processing route that leverages TB multiplication during recrystallization of austenitic 316L stainless steel produced via selective laser melting (SLM). We find that recrystallization requires a minimum level of mechanical deformation, which scales with the laser scanning speed employed during SLM. We ascribe this relationship to the cell size and the amount of solute segregating at cell boundaries during rapid solidification, which are inversely and directly proportional to the laser scanning speed, respectively. The coarser the cell structure and the more uniform the chemical composition, the easier the nucleation and growth of recrystallized grains. Our results provide the groundwork for devising AM-compatible GBE strategies to produce high-performance parts with complex geometry.