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At least 37 records · Page 2

Heterogeneous fatigue damage in a nickel-based single-crystal superalloy unraveled using correlative 3D X-ray technology

Nickel-based single-crystal (Ni-SX) superalloys under cyclic stress are susceptible to cracking at stress-concentration sites, eventually leading to low-cycle fatigue (LCF) failure. LCF cracks typically originate from intrinsic defects (e.g., voids and carbides) within solidified dendrites. However, systematic quantitative experimental analyses of defect-mediated local damage remain limited. To thoroughly understand the microscopic origins and evolution of LCF damage, correlated 3D mapping of dendrites across various regions is essential. Here, in this study, macroscale micro-computed tomography (μ-CT) was initially used to capture internal interdendritic secondary cracks within bulk DD413 superalloy after LCF testing at 760 °C. Subsequently, a multimodal methodology combining synchrotron 3D microdiffraction (3D-μXRD), high-resolution μ-CT, and electron microscopy was established. This approach allowed precise localization of internal damage zones near interdendritic secondary cracks and detailed mapping of the 3D correlated distributions of dendrites, defects, and residual stress/strain fields within these zones at submicron spatial resolution. Finally, the same approach was applied to specimens subjected to interrupted loading at approximately 40 % of the fatigue life to uncover the early damage states of dendrites. The dendrite cores (DCs) and interdendritic regions (IDs) exhibit microscale heterogeneous mechanical responses: nearly defect-free DCs accumulate local irreversible slip along specific slip systems to generate slip bands, while the IDs containing various defects accommodate local microplasticity through the activation of multiple slip systems around these defects. The local tensile stress near defects in the IDs exceeds that in the DC slip band regions by more than threefold, leading to the generation of local damage zones within the IDs. Chain-like defect distributions facilitate the interconnection of these local zones into a continuous damage region, further elevating the overall tensile stress in the IDs. Additionally, geometrically necessary dislocations alone are insufficient as indicators of LCF damage; both the internal stress state and its magnitude must be considered. These experimental results provide critical data and insights for the development of multi-physics fatigue models.

Localized deformation↗

Slip localization behavior at triple junctions in nickel-base superalloys

Incipient slip localization in the vicinity of hundreds of grain boundary triple junctions (TJs) in a lightly deformed nickel-base superalloy IN718 is studied using a combination of three-dimensional (3D) crystal plasticity finite element (CPFE) modeling, high resolution digital image correlation (HR-DIC) and 3D electron back-scatter diffraction tomography (3D EBSD). A 3D reconstruction method enables identification of thousands of TJs and correspondence of any observed slip bands with their originating TJ lines below the specimen surface. Here, we present a large-scale CPFE model of the experimental 3D microstructure composed of high-fidelity representation of the TJ lines and the boundaries and interiors of the parent grains and use it to calculate the local micromechanical response and slip activity of all TJs at the onset of macroscopic yielding. Statistical analysis of the calculated quantities reveal TJs develop larger stress concentration and grain-average re-orientation than grain interiors and grain boundaries, however no substantial differences in cumulative slip were found among these microstructural regions. We find that TJs with observed slip bands generate lower grain-average re-orientation, fewer active slip systems, and more localized slip on a single system than those without. The distinctions in the reorientation and slip activity are stronger in TJs that experience more intense slip.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Estimation of micro-Hall-Petch coefficients for prismatic slip system in Mg-4Al as a function of grain boundary parameters

Grain size strengthening, referred to as the Hall-Petch effect, is a common strategy to improve the yield strength of magnesium (Mg) alloys. Several experimental studies have reported that the Hall-Petch slope strongly depends on the texture of the alloy. This effect arises from altering grain boundaries (GBs) resistance to different slip systems to transfer across adjacent grains. The grain boundary barrier strength of certain grain boundaries to basal slip, referred to as basal micro-Hall-Petch, was investigated in the previous work. Here in this study, the micro-Hall-Petch coefficient values for the prismatic slip $(k^{prismatic}_{μ})$ in Mg-4Al and their correlation with the grain boundary parameters were investigated. An experimental method was developed to initiate the prismatic slip band at low-stress levels. High-resolution electron backscatter diffraction (HR-EBSD) was used to measure the residual stress tensor, from which the resolved shear stress ahead of blocked prismatic slip bands was computed for seven different grain boundaries. $(k^{prismatic}_{μ})$ values for each individual GB were calculated by coupling the stress profile information with a continuum dislocation pile-up model. The $(k^{prismatic}_{μ})$ values vary from 0.138 MPa.m 1/2 to 0.685 MPa. m 1/2 which are almost three times larger than the calculated values for the basal micro-Hall-Petch. The $(k^{prismatic}_{μ})$ values were correlated with the GB parameters, and a functional relationship depending on the two most effective angles, the angle between the traces of the slip planes on the GB plane ($\phi$) and the angle between incoming and outgoing slip directions (κ), was proposed to estimate the Hall-Petch barrier for prismatic slip system. The work provides coefficients that can be supplied as input to crystal plasticity models to couple the effect of texture and grain size effectively.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Strengthening Mechanisms and Deformation Behavior of Industrially-Cast and Lab-Cast Dual-Phase High Entropy Alloy

An iron-rich high entropy alloy Al 0.65 CoCrFe 2 Ni comprising of both FCC and BCC phases was designed and fabricated using induction melting at a large industrial scale and suction casting at a small lab scale. Spinodally decomposed interdendritic regions were uniformly distributed in the industrially melted alloy, and a finer dendritic structure with smaller sized spinodal structures was observed in the alloy suction cast at lab scale. The suction cast alloy fabricated at the lab scale exhibited significantly higher compressive yield strength compared to the industrially cast alloy. The relative strengthening contributions in the alloys due to solid solution, grain boundary, dislocation interactions and interphase boundary were analyzed. Dislocation hardening was the major contributor responsible for the higher strength of the SC alloy. The deformation behavior in the alloys was examined with the help of orientation image mapping. Finally, intense slip band formation at large strains in the industrially melted alloy indicates that cold working can be an effective technique to enhance the strength of the dual-phase high entropy alloy processed at a large scale.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Synergistic effect of microstructure and defects on the initiation of fatigue cracks in additively manufactured Inconel 718

Fatigue cracks in additively manufactured (AMed) Inconel 718 (IN-718) in machined surface condition often initiate from persistent slip bands (PSBs) unlike other popular AM alloys such as 17-4 PH stainless steel or Ti-6Al-4V, where fatigue crack initiation is exclusively from volumetric defects; therefore, a competition between PSB- vs. defect- mediated crack initiation clearly exists. To shed light on the factors governing the competition, this study investigates the characteristics of cyclic strain localization, PSB formation, and crack initiation via crystal plasticity (CP) modeling of cyclic loading on polycrystalline aggregates which are then validated by experiments. In this work, a physics-based, free slip distance (FSD) dependent slip strength evolution law is proposed, which is shown to enable the CP model to simulate the heterogeneous strain distribution in IN-718. Implementing a crack initiation criterion based on strain contrast, the locations and lives for crack initiation can also be calculated. It is shown that both FSD and resolve shear stress influence the strain localization and crack initiation behaviors. The distribution of a localization parameter calculated based on the multiplication of FSD and Schmid factor within a grain is found to correlate well with the locations of PSBs. The maximum values of the localization parameters within a microstructure are shown to correlate well with the experimentally obtained crack initiation lives. The presence of volumetric defects in IN-718 generally do not impact strain localization behavior unless their size is large compared to the grain size.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Deformation behavior of metallic glass composites and plasticity accommodation at microstructural length-scales

Bulk metallic glass matrix composites represent a unique microstructural design strategy for overcoming the strength/ductility trade-off in structural alloys. Site-specific mechanical behavior of a Ti-based bulk metallic glass composite was evaluated at microstructural length-scale. The micro-pillars on the amorphous matrix showed on average a yield point of 1.9 GPa followed by serrated plastic deformation characteristic of shear banding. In contrast, micro-pillars on the crystalline dendritic phase showed a much lower yield strength of 0.72 GPa on average for the four different crystallographic orientations chosen, smooth plastic flow with no recognizable load burst, and stable strain-hardening after yield point. A number of micro-pillars were made at the interface between the glassy matrix and the crystalline dendrite. The mixed micro-pillars showed homogeneous deformation and greater plasticity which was attributed to their smaller stored elastic energy. Shear bands initiated in the amorphous matrix were arrested by the crystalline dendrite, which accommodated plasticity through slip bands and dislocations pile-ups. The interface remained intact after plastic deformation, with no observable signs of devitrification in the amorphous phase.

Bulk metallic glass matrix composite, Micro-pillar↗

Origin, parameters, and underlying deformation mechanisms of propagating deformation bands in irradiated 316L stainless steel

Lüders-type propagating deformation bands were observed in specimens of irradiated 316L stainless steel samples removed from Spallation Neutron Source target vessels after service. Mechanical testing with digital image correlation (DIC) and in-situ tensile testing with scanning electron microscopy electron backscatter diffraction showed that the observed Lüders-type behavior was not related to the known transformation-induced plasticity or twinning-induced plasticity behavior. Instead, the phenomenon occurs at small local strain values before a significant amount of martensite or deformation twins appear in the microstructure. Microstructural analysis and in-situ mechanical test results suggest Lüders-type band formation and propagation were related to the appearance and evolution of defect-free channels—analogous to slip bands. A modified Swift equation with a Ludwigson-like component was offered to rationalize the phenomenon and model the strain-softening processes at small strain values. Finally, the results indicate complex microstructural processes and deformation mechanisms were active at small strain values and underline the benefits of advanced mechanical test approaches such as DIC.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Hydrogen effects on the deformation and slip localization in a single crystal austenitic stainless steel

Hydrogen is known to embrittle austenitic stainless steels, which are widely used in high-pressure hydrogen storage and delivery systems, but the mechanisms that lead to such material degradation are still being elucidated. The current work investigates the deformation behavior of single crystal austenitic stainless steel 316L through combined uniaxial tensile testing, characterization and atomistic simulations. Thermally precharged hydrogen is shown to increase the critical resolved shear stress (CRSS) without previously reported deviations from Schmid’s law. Molecular dynamics simulations further expose the statistical nature of the hydrogen and vacancy contributions to the CRSS in the presence of alloying. Slip distribution quantification over large in-plane distances (> 1 mm), achieved via atomic force microscopy (AFM), highlights the role of hydrogen increasing the degree of slip localization in both single and multiple slip configurations. The most active slip bands accumulate significantly more deformation in hydrogen precharged specimens, with potential implications for damage nucleation. For $\langle$110$\rangle$ tensile loading, slip localization further enhances the activity of secondary slip, increases the density of geometrically necessary dislocations and leads to a distinct lattice rotation behavior compared to hydrogen-free specimens, as evidenced by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) maps. Finally, the results of this study provide a more comprehensive picture of the deformation aspect of hydrogen embrittlement in austenitic stainless steels.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Enhanced work hardening from oxygen-stabilized ω precipitates in an aged metastable β Ti-Nb alloy

High levels of oxygen in solid solution in Ti alloys are considered detrimental to mechanical properties because of embrittlement concerns. In metastable β titanium alloys, the formation of isothermal ω precipitates is also known to cause severe embrittlement and ductility reduction. However, oxygen has been shown to partition to the ω phase during ageing, and this partitioning behavior may potentially impact ω’s mechanical contribution. Using micropillar compression, we compared the deformation behavior of Ti-20Nb (at. %) with oxygen-stabilized ω precipitates to the behavior of oxygen-free specimens. The oxygen-stabilized microstructures showed increased compressive yield strength and enhanced work hardening behavior compared to oxygen-free specimens. In the absence of oxygen, the compressed pillars showed slip band formation and catastrophic failure, and transmission electron microscopy imaging revealed that ω precipitates were sheared within the continuous deformation channels resulting in slip localization. In contrast, oxygen-stabilized ω precipitates were harder to shear and the formation of continuous deformation channels was suppressed during compression, leading to improved work hardening behavior up to 15% strain. Furthermore, this counter-intuitive role of oxygen may offer design strategies to address the significant embrittlement and loss of ductility observed for ω-strengthened β Ti alloys without oxygen and avenues to expand the use of β Ti alloys.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Quantitative study of the effect of grain boundary parameters on the slip system level Hall-Petch slope for basal slip system in Mg-4Al

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 ($k^{basal}_{μ}$) varied significantly, from 0.054 to 0.184 MPa - m 1/2 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 $k^{basal}_{μ}$, followed by the angle between the slip directions. A functional form for calculation of $k^{basal}_{μ}$ 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.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Dynamic fracture processes in hydrogen embrittled iron

Mechanistic understanding of hydrogen embrittlement is critical to the transport and storage of hydrogen as a sustainable fuel. Experimental observation of dynamic fracture processes in hydrogen environments has been challenging. Here, in-situ transmission X-ray microscopy is used to image polycrystalline iron foils that are concurrently strained and electrochemically charged with hydrogen. Using this technique, voids and microcracks down to ∼30 nm in size are identified at or near the crack tip and tracked as strain is increased. We observe both hydrogen-induced transgranular failure and hydrogen-induced intergranular failure with distinct fracture processes. We find that transgranular fracture occurs through the formation of sharp branched structures at the main crack tip that are reminiscent of slip band formation. This is followed by void growth and coalescence, and interaction with secondary cracks that lead to propagation of the main crack. Intergranular fracture is found to occur through void coalescence along grain boundaries, along with significant secondary cracking near the crack tip. The crack growth rate is greater for void-mediated intergranular failure than for slip-mediated transgranular failure. Additionally, the removal of hydrogen results in recovered ductility for a crack initially propagated under hydrogen charging.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Strong‐Yet‐Ductile Eutectic Alloys Employing Cocoon‐Like Nanometer‐Sized Dislocation Cells

Abstract Eutectic alloys (EAs) with superior fluidity are known to be the easiest to cast into high‐quality ingots, making them the alloys of choice for making large‐sized structural parts. However, conventional EAs (CEAs) have never reached strength–ductility combinations on par with the best in other alloy categories. Via thermomechanical processing of cast Ni‐32.88wt%Fe‐9.53wt%Al CEAs, a cocoon‐like nano‐meshed (as fine as 26 nm) network of dislocations (CNN‐D) is produced via recovery annealing, through the rearrangement of cold‐work‐accumulated dislocations anchored by dense pre‐existing nanoprecipitates. In lieu of traditional plasticity mechanisms, such as TWIP and TRIP, the CNN‐D is particularly effective in eutectic lamellae with alternating phases, as it instigates nanometer‐spaced planar slip bands that not only dynamically refine the microstructure but also transmit from the FCC (face‐centered‐cubic) layers into the otherwise brittle B2 layers. These additional mechanisms for strengthening and strain hardening sustain stable tensile flow, resulting in a striking elevation of both strength and ductility to outrank not only all previous CEAs, but also the state of the art—additively manufactured eutectic high‐entropy alloys. The CNN‐D thus adds a novel microstructural strategy for performance enhancement, especially for compositionally complex alloys that increasingly make use of nanoprecipitates or local chemical order.

Chemistry↗

The combined effects of hydrogen and aging condition on the deformation and fracture behavior of a precipitation-hardened nickel-base superalloy

The effect of hydrogen (H) on the deformation behavior of Monel K-500 in various isothermal heat treatment conditions (non-aged, under-aged, peak-aged, and over-aged) was assessed via uniaxial mechanical testing. H-charged and non-charged specimens were strained to failure to facilitate a comparison of ductility, fracture surface morphology, strength, and work hardening behavior. For all examined heat treatment conditions, H charging leads to a significant reduction in ductility, which is accompanied by a consistent change in fracture surface morphology from ductile microvoid coalescence to brittle intergranular fracture. While H charging led to a systematic enhancement in the yield strength of all heat treatments, the three age-hardened conditions exhibited a more than 2-fold increase relative to the non-aged heat treatment. This suggests that H modifies the dislocation–precipitate interactions, which also manifest themselves through changes in work hardening metrics related to the dislocation storage and recovery rates. In particular, the H-charged peak-aged specimen exhibited a significant increase in initial hardening (dislocation storage) rate relative to the H-charged under-aged specimen. Transmission electron microscopy of these samples revealed the onset of widespread dislocation looping in the H-charged peak-aged sample, in addition to the planar slip bands characteristic of the non-charged condition. This result suggests that hydrogen induces the particle shearing-to-looping transition at smaller particle sizes. Possible mechanistic explanations for this observed behavior are presented.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

In Situ Micro-Pillar Compression to Examine Radiation-Induced Hardening Mechanisms of FeCrAl Alloys

Here, the effects of 5 MeV Fe 2+ ion irradiation at 300°C on the microstructure evolution and deformation behavior of a FeCrAl C26M alloy are presented. It has been found that dislocation loop density increases an order of magnitude from 1 dpa to 16 dpa irradiations, whereas, the dislocation loop size saturates with increasing damage. Micropillars, 600 nm in diameter and 1.3 µm in height, were fabricated and compressed inside grains with <001>, <011> and <111> crystallographic orientations, respectively. {112} <111> has been identified as the primary slip system in both unirradiated and irradiated alloy. The increase in yield stress after irradiation is observed with measurable variation along <001> and <011> vs. along <111>. By applying the Orowan dispersed barrier model, the increase of yield stress is found mainly due to the slip resistance of radiation generated defect loops. Detailed transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies were performed to quantify the Burgers vector and the distribution of irradiation induced dislocations at elevated strains. It is revealed that localized shear instability is caused by avalanche slip events of ½<111> dislocations gliding out of tested pillars. Simultaneously, a large number of sessile/immobile <100> dislocations formed in the vicinity of slip band, leading to the hardening at elevated strains.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

An investigation into the effects of cyclic strain rate on the high cycle and very high cycle fatigue behaviors of wrought and additively manufactured Inconel 718

Additive Manufacturing (AM) has increasingly been used to fabricate parts in aerospace applications, which may require service lives beyond ten-million cycles due to the imposed high loading frequencies. Understanding the very high cycle fatigue (VHCF) behavior of these additive manufactured (AM) parts is an important step towards their design and qualification processes. This study focuses on the high cycle fatigue (HCF) and VHCF behaviors of both wrought and laser beam-powder bed fusion (LB-PBF) fabricated Inconel 718 in machined/polished surface condition, emphasizing on the influence of test frequency (i.e., cyclic strain rate). Uniaxial, fully-reversed force- and stress-controlled fatigue tests were conducted utilizing a servo-hydraulic and an ultrasonic test system operating at 5 Hz and 20 kHz, respectively, on wrought as well as LB-PBF vertically and diagonally built specimens. Fatigue cracks in the majority of the specimens were found to initiate from intra-granular slip bands near or at the surface, which gives rise to strong anisotropy in fatigue resistance in LB-PBF specimens due to the presence of columnar grains along the build directions. Longer fatigue lives were obtained at 20 kHz, which was ascribed to possibly lower-than-intended stresses applied in the ultrasonic tests. The corrected stress-life fatigue data at 20 kHz were found to converge to the one obtained from conventional testing at 5 Hz, implying no effect of cyclic strain rate on the fatigue behavior of Inconel 718 regardless of the fabrication process. The findings of this work confirm the use of ultrasonic fatigue testing to expedite generation of AM materials data to keep up with the current demand; however, the applied stress may need to be corrected.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Activation of dislocations in Mg with solute Y

Mg-Y cast alloy shows excellent ductility (elongation to failure > 15%) compared with pure Mg and commercial Mg cast alloys. By monitoring the microstructure evolution during an in situ tensile test of a Mg-2.5 wt%Y alloy, we identify the activation of prismatic slip, which is rare in Mg. Synchrotron X-ray micro-beam Laue diffraction (μ-Laue) and transmission electron microscopy revealed the morphology of prismatic slip bands and individual dislocations. Density functional theory and molecular dynamics calculations indicate that solute Y can significantly reduce the stacking fault energy (SFE) along direction on prismatic plane in Mg lattice and thus facilitate the nucleation of dislocations during deformation. The presence of free dislocations in the Mg lattice can also lead to nucleation of {10–12} twins even under unfavorable geometric conditions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Stress-controlled fatigue of HfNbTaTiZr high-entropy alloy and associated deformation and fracture mechanisms

The stress-controlled fatigue tests are carried out at a stress ratio of 0.1 and a frequency of 10 Hz, and span both low-cycle and high-cycle regimes by varying the applied stress amplitudes. The high-cycle fatigue regime gives a fatigue strength of 497 MPa and a fatigue ratio of 0.44. At equivalent conditions, the alloy's fatigue strength is greater than all other high-entropy alloys (HEAs) with reported high-cycle fatigue data, dilute body-centered cubic alloys, and many structural alloys such as steels, titanium alloys, and aluminum alloys. Through in-depth analyses of crack-propagation trajectories, fracture-surface morphologies and deformation plasticity by means of various microstructural analysis techniques and theoretical frameworks, the alloy's remarkable fatigue resistance is attributed to delayed crack initiation in the high-cycle regime, which is achieved by retarding the formation of localized persistent slip bands, and its good resistance to crack propagation in the low-cycle regime, which is accomplished by intrinsic toughening backed up by extrinsic toughening. Additionally, the stochastic nature of the fatigue data is neatly captured with a 2-parameter Weibull model.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Effect of temperature on the fatigue cracking mechanisms in A356 Al alloy

This work builds on our previous investigation of the room temperature fatigue cracking mechanisms of an A356 Al alloy. Here, we analyze the elevated temperature fatigue cracking mechanisms in cast and friction stir processed (FSP) A356, and contrast them with the room temperature behavior. Two sets of FSP parameters were used to modify the microstructure of the cast alloy. After heat treatment, both the FSPed microstructures exhibited severe abnormal grain growth (AGG) leading to a very wide grain size distribution (from a few microns to a few millimeters). During room temperature fatigue tests, the FSP conditions exhibited significant improvements in fatigue lives, even up to an order of magnitude. However, with increasing temperature, the difference in the performance of the FSPed and Cast microstructures decreased until, at 200 °C, all three microstructural conditions exhibited similar fatigue response. Detailed electron back scattered diffraction (EBSD) imaging of failed fatigue specimens was used to study crack behavior. At room temperature, cracks initiated at defect sites or along persistent slip bands (PSBs) and propagated transgranularly. The grain boundaries acted as barriers to crack growth. At elevated temperatures, there was a complete role reversal of the grain boundaries. Cracks initiated along grain boundaries and propagated intergranularly in all microstructures. Below, we explore this transition of the cracking mechanism in detail.

Nelaturu, Plalgun↗