Twinning-assisted dynamic adjustment of grain boundary mobility

Authors

Qishan Huang, Zhejiang University
Qi Zhu, Zhejiang University
Yingbin Chen, Zhejiang University
Mingyu Gong, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Jixue Li, Zhejiang University
Ze Zhang, Zhejiang University
Wei Yang, Zhejiang University
Jian Wang, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Haofei Zhou, Zhejiang University
Jiangwei Wang, Zhejiang University

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2021

Citation

NATURE COMMUNICATIONS | (2021) 12:6695 | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-27002-3 |www.nature.com/naturecommunications

Comments

Open access

Abstract

Grain boundary (GB) plasticity dominates the mechanical behaviours of nanocrystalline materials. Under mechanical loading, GB configuration and its local deformation geometry change dynamically with the deformation; the dynamic variation of GB deformability, however, remains largely elusive, especially regarding its relation with the frequently-observed GB-associated deformation twins in nanocrystalline materials. Attention here is focused on the GB dynamics in metallic nanocrystals, by means of well-designed in situ nanomechanical testing integrated with molecular dynamics simulations. GBs with low mobility are found to dynamically adjust their configurations and local deformation geometries via crystallographic twinning, which instantly changes the GB dynamics and enhances the GB mobility. This selfadjust twin-assisted GB dynamics is found common in a wide range of face-centred cubic nanocrystalline metals under different deformation conditions. These findings enrich our understanding of GB-mediated plasticity, especially the dynamic behaviour of GBs, and bear practical implication for developing high performance nanocrystalline materials through interface engineering.