Segregation-dislocation self-organized structures ductilize a work-hardened medium entropy alloy
Abstract Dislocations are the intrinsic origin of crystal plasticity. However, initial high-density dislocations in work-hardened materials are commonly asserted to be detrimental to ductility according to textbook strengthening theory. Inspired by the self-organized critical states of non-equilibri...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-56710-3 |
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| Summary: | Abstract Dislocations are the intrinsic origin of crystal plasticity. However, initial high-density dislocations in work-hardened materials are commonly asserted to be detrimental to ductility according to textbook strengthening theory. Inspired by the self-organized critical states of non-equilibrium complex systems in nature, we explored the mechanical response of an additively manufactured medium entropy alloy with segregation-dislocation self-organized structures (SD-SOS). We show here that when initial dislocations are in the form of SD-SOS, the textbook theory that dislocation hardening inevitably sacrifices ductility can be overturned. Our results reveal that the SD-SOS, in addition to providing dislocation sources by emitting dislocations and stacking faults, also dynamically interacts with gliding dislocations to generate sustainable Lomer-Cottrell locks and jogs for dislocation storage. The effective dislocation multiplication and storage capabilities lead to the continuous refinement of planar slip bands, resulting in high ductility in the work-hardened alloy produced by additive manufacturing. These findings set a precedent for optimizing the mechanical behavior of alloys via tuning dislocation configurations. |
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| ISSN: | 2041-1723 |