Size effects and deformation mechanisms in nanoscale metallic multilayered composites
Abstract
In this work, size effects and deformation mechanisms in nanoscale metallic multilayered (NMM) composites were studied. Existing models for the prediction of the dependence of strength of NMM composites on the individual layer thickness do not capture the experimentally observed dependence. Dislocation interactions have been suggested as a significant contributor to this discrepancy. Due to the complexity and multiplicity of dislocation interaction in real systems, the study started by examining the hardening effect and implications on the dislocation structure of two known-to-be significant dislocation interactions in NMM composites. The first is the interaction between a threading dislocation and orthogonally intersection interfacial dislocations. Dislocation dynamics (DD) analysis was employed and it was found that the strongest interaction occurs when the interacting dislocations are collinear and involves annihilation reactions and the formation of 90° dislocation bends at the interfaces, as commonly observed in experiments. The strength predictions indicate a strengthen increase of about 50%; however, they do not follow the experimentally observed trend. The second interaction to study was that between a threading dislocation and parallel interfacial dislocations. A semi-analytical energetic approach was employed and it was found that parallel interactions can lead to softening effect, as well as hardening effect depending on the relative sign of the Burgers vector of the threading and the parallel dislocations. It was also found that when the Burgers vectors are collinear, the interaction is stronger. A comparison with the measured strength of real multilayered system shows that accounting for parallel interactions improves the strength predictions for an isolated glide dislocation, however that does not offer answers regarding the observed strength saturation when the individual layer thickness in the few nanometer range. Finally, large-scale DD simulations of NMM composites were performed. Such simulations naturally accounts for all the possible and complex interactions in a real system. The strength predictions of such simulations are in better qualitative agreement with experimental trends than any of the unit process. Nevertheless, more work is needed to validate the results by investigating different relaxation models to accomplish the initial dislocations structure used in subsequent loading. The simulations were also valuable in identifying dislocation mechanisms which can take place during the deformation.
- Publication:
-
Ph.D. Thesis
- Pub Date:
- 2007
- Bibcode:
- 2007PhDT........66A