Some fundamental issues in quasi-brittle solids, such as closed-form failure description, reliable solution to anisotropic coupling equations, cracking-induced localization, post-peak mechanical response, still remain largely open. Focus here is transferred from the case of isotropic damage to more complex anisotropic frictional damage problems. The constitutive equations are formulated by applying linear homogenization to a solid matrix-microcracks heterogeneous system, whose solution actually constitutes a typical nonlinear complementary problem. Analytical solutions are found under some specific loading paths, which make it possible to perform relevant critical analyses on mechanical behaviors of quasi-brittle solid. It is interestingly found that cracks in critical families propagate predominantly, especially in the post-peak phase, by controlling material failure and leading to the localization from diffuse damage (microcracks) to one or several macro cracks. When solids tend to be brittle, there will appear a transition in mechanical response from type-I to type-II with a snap-back phase. On numerical aspects, both fully coupled- and decoupled correction schemes are developed and compared to the analytical results achieved herein.
{"title":"Micromechanical analysis of stress-induced anisotropic frictional damage, spontaneous localization and post-peak snapback problem in quasi-brittle geomaterials","authors":"Qi-Zhi Zhu , Qiao-Juan Yu , Jian-fu Shao , Xing-Guang Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104549","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104549","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Some fundamental issues in quasi-brittle solids, such as closed-form failure description, reliable solution to anisotropic coupling equations, cracking-induced localization, post-peak mechanical response, still remain largely open. Focus here is transferred from the case of isotropic damage to more complex anisotropic frictional damage problems. The constitutive equations are formulated by applying linear homogenization to a solid matrix-microcracks heterogeneous system, whose solution actually constitutes a typical nonlinear complementary problem. Analytical solutions are found under some specific loading paths, which make it possible to perform relevant critical analyses on mechanical behaviors of quasi-brittle solid. It is interestingly found that cracks in critical families propagate predominantly, especially in the post-peak phase, by controlling material failure and leading to the localization from diffuse damage (microcracks) to one or several macro cracks. When solids tend to be brittle, there will appear a transition in mechanical response from type-I to type-II with a snap-back phase. On numerical aspects, both fully coupled- and decoupled correction schemes are developed and compared to the analytical results achieved herein.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":340,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Plasticity","volume":"196 ","pages":"Article 104549"},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2025-11-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145515957","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-14DOI: 10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104550
Yukang An , Enyu Guo , Diyang Xia , Shuo Yin , Zhirou Zhang , Wuyue Zheng , Zongning Chen , Huijun Kang , Tongmin Wang
Wire-arc directed energy deposition (W-DED) is a cost-effective additive manufacturing technology increasingly applied to the fabrication of magnesium alloy components. However, AZ-series magnesium alloys fabricated by conventional DED suffer from inadequate properties and premature failure due to stress concentration caused by coarse structure and high fraction of porosity. In this work, a high-energy pulsed arc is introduced into the W-DED of AZ31B alloy, and its effects on porosity, microstructure, mechanical properties, and deformation damage behavior are comprehensively investigated. The pulsed-coupled DED (CMT+P) process significantly enhances component densification while refining grains and precipitates by intensifying solidification dynamics and modifying solute redistribution. The AZ31B alloy fabricated by CMT+P process exhibits a superior strength-ductility synergy, with ultimate tensile strength of 262 ± 1.5 MPa along BD and 267 ± 2 MPa along TD accompanied by a total elongation of 24.7 ± 1.8 % and 25.4 ± 1.5 %, respectively. In-situ synchrotron tomography from a novel “primary damage band (PDB)” perspective reveals the competitive relationship between initial and derived pores of deformation behavior. During the progressive damage evolution, the optimized structure crucially suppresses derived pore nucleation and delays stress accumulation to enhance damage tolerance and promote uniform plastic deformation. This work provides a new strategy for fabricating high-performance Mg-Al DED components that combine high performance with superior damage resistance.
{"title":"A new strategy for fabricating Mg-Al alloys with excellent strength-ductility synergy via pulse-coupled wire-arc directed energy deposition","authors":"Yukang An , Enyu Guo , Diyang Xia , Shuo Yin , Zhirou Zhang , Wuyue Zheng , Zongning Chen , Huijun Kang , Tongmin Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104550","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104550","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Wire-arc directed energy deposition (W-DED) is a cost-effective additive manufacturing technology increasingly applied to the fabrication of magnesium alloy components. However, AZ-series magnesium alloys fabricated by conventional DED suffer from inadequate properties and premature failure due to stress concentration caused by coarse structure and high fraction of porosity. In this work, a high-energy pulsed arc is introduced into the W-DED of AZ31B alloy, and its effects on porosity, microstructure, mechanical properties, and deformation damage behavior are comprehensively investigated. The pulsed-coupled DED (CMT+P) process significantly enhances component densification while refining grains and precipitates by intensifying solidification dynamics and modifying solute redistribution. The AZ31B alloy fabricated by CMT+P process exhibits a superior strength-ductility synergy, with ultimate tensile strength of 262 ± 1.5 MPa along BD and 267 ± 2 MPa along TD accompanied by a total elongation of 24.7 ± 1.8 % and 25.4 ± 1.5 %, respectively. <em>In-situ</em> synchrotron tomography from a novel “primary damage band (PDB)” perspective reveals the competitive relationship between initial and derived pores of deformation behavior. During the progressive damage evolution, the optimized structure crucially suppresses derived pore nucleation and delays stress accumulation to enhance damage tolerance and promote uniform plastic deformation. This work provides a new strategy for fabricating high-performance Mg-Al DED components that combine high performance with superior damage resistance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":340,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Plasticity","volume":"196 ","pages":"Article 104550"},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2025-11-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145509404","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-11DOI: 10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104548
Alireza Rezaei , Nafiseh Mollaei , Maral Sarebanzadeh , Biaobiao Yang , Seyed Mahmood Fatemi , Javier LLorca
The plastic deformation micro-mechanisms of extruded pure Zn deformed in tension along the extrusion direction were investigated by means of in situ scanning electron microscopy (SEM) integrated with electron back-scatter diffraction (EBSD). Plastic deformation began with the activation of 〈a〉 basal slip in grains with the highest Schmid factor while, the incompatibility of deformation between neighbour grains was accommodated by grain boundary sliding. The geometrically necessary dislocation density increased sharply from 1.53 × 1013 m⁻² to 9.03 × 1013 m⁻² when applied strain reached 6.7%, and this increase coincides with the strong initial strain hardening region. The incompatibility of deformation between neighbour grains was accommodated by grain boundary sliding at strains above 3.3%, which somehow limited the strain hardening rate. Evidence of 〈c+a〉 pyramidal II slip was also found through slip trace analysis from the early stages of deformation, i.e. 1.6% strain, but it was always limited to a small fraction of suitably oriented grains. Moreover, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations showed that many 〈c+a〉 pyramidal dislocations were dissociated into the basal plane and became sessile. {}<> compression twins were nucleated at 3.3% strain and the fraction of grains undergoing twinning as well as the area fraction of twins increased proportionally to the applied strain. Twinning was favoured by the fiber texture and the twin variant with the highest Schmid factor was primarily activated in each grain. The contribution of twinning to the total strain was limited (around 11% when the applied strain was 16.7%). The strain hardening rate decreased sharply beyond 6.7% and the hardening contribution of basal slip was balanced by grain boundary sliding and compression twinning. Finally, a high fraction of sub-grain boundaries that trigger recrystallization at larger strains was found at 16.7%. These observations reveal the sequence and interaction of plastic deformation mechanisms in Zn, which may help design novel Zn alloys with improved mechanical properties.
{"title":"Ascertaining the plastic deformation mechanisms of polycrystalline extruded Zn through in situ SEM/EBSD mechanical tests","authors":"Alireza Rezaei , Nafiseh Mollaei , Maral Sarebanzadeh , Biaobiao Yang , Seyed Mahmood Fatemi , Javier LLorca","doi":"10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104548","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104548","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The plastic deformation micro-mechanisms of extruded pure Zn deformed in tension along the extrusion direction were investigated by means of <em>in situ</em> scanning electron microscopy (SEM) integrated with electron back-scatter diffraction (EBSD). Plastic deformation began with the activation of 〈<em>a〉</em> basal slip in grains with the highest Schmid factor while, the incompatibility of deformation between neighbour grains was accommodated by grain boundary sliding. The geometrically necessary dislocation density increased sharply from 1.53 × 10<sup>13</sup> m⁻² to 9.03 × 10<sup>13</sup> m⁻² when applied strain reached 6.7%, and this increase coincides with the strong initial strain hardening region. The incompatibility of deformation between neighbour grains was accommodated by grain boundary sliding at strains above 3.3%, which somehow limited the strain hardening rate. Evidence of 〈<em>c</em> <em>+</em> <em>a〉</em> pyramidal II slip was also found through slip trace analysis from the early stages of deformation, <em>i.e.</em> 1.6% strain, but it was always limited to a small fraction of suitably oriented grains. Moreover, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations showed that many 〈<em>c</em> <em>+</em> <em>a〉</em> pyramidal dislocations were dissociated into the basal plane and became sessile. {<span><math><mrow><mn>10</mn><mover><mrow><mn>1</mn></mrow><mo>‾</mo></mover><mn>2</mn></mrow></math></span>}<<span><math><mrow><mn>10</mn><mover><mrow><mn>1</mn></mrow><mo>‾</mo></mover><mover><mrow><mn>1</mn></mrow><mo>‾</mo></mover></mrow></math></span>> compression twins were nucleated at 3.3% strain and the fraction of grains undergoing twinning as well as the area fraction of twins increased proportionally to the applied strain. Twinning was favoured by the fiber texture and the twin variant with the highest Schmid factor was primarily activated in each grain. The contribution of twinning to the total strain was limited (around 11% when the applied strain was 16.7%). The strain hardening rate decreased sharply beyond 6.7% and the hardening contribution of basal slip was balanced by grain boundary sliding and compression twinning. Finally, a high fraction of sub-grain boundaries that trigger recrystallization at larger strains was found at 16.7%. These observations reveal the sequence and interaction of plastic deformation mechanisms in Zn, which may help design novel Zn alloys with improved mechanical properties.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":340,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Plasticity","volume":"196 ","pages":"Article 104548"},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2025-11-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145485095","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-11DOI: 10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104546
David Lindblom , Menghao Liu , Jinshan Pan , Robin Woracek , Carl F.O. Dahlberg
A coupled hydrogen (H) diffusion and higher-order strain gradient plasticity model is used to predict H localization in the ferrite () and austenite () phases of super duplex steel under plane stress conditions. The geometry and finite element (FE) mesh are derived from optical micrograph images of the phase morphology, ensuring a realistic representation of the alloy’s microstructure. The model highlights the role of individual phases in coupled diffusion–mechanics interactions and demonstrates that the phase morphology significantly impacts the localization of H in the material. The results indicate that plastic strains in the ferrite phase exert a much greater influence on the spatial distribution of H than in the austenite phase. Finally, results of the model compare well with in situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements of the temporal evolution of the strain induced by H charging. These findings provide valuable insight for future alloy design strategies aimed at mitigating H localization and preventing embrittlement.
{"title":"Nonlinear chemomechanical modeling of hydrogen diffusion in super duplex stainless steel and comparison with x-ray diffraction measurements","authors":"David Lindblom , Menghao Liu , Jinshan Pan , Robin Woracek , Carl F.O. Dahlberg","doi":"10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104546","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104546","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A coupled hydrogen (H) diffusion and higher-order strain gradient plasticity model is used to predict H localization in the ferrite (<span><math><mi>α</mi></math></span>) and austenite (<span><math><mi>γ</mi></math></span>) phases of super duplex steel under plane stress conditions. The geometry and finite element (FE) mesh are derived from optical micrograph images of the phase morphology, ensuring a realistic representation of the alloy’s microstructure. The model highlights the role of individual phases in coupled diffusion–mechanics interactions and demonstrates that the phase morphology significantly impacts the localization of H in the material. The results indicate that plastic strains in the ferrite phase exert a much greater influence on the spatial distribution of H than in the austenite phase. Finally, results of the model compare well with in situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements of the temporal evolution of the strain induced by H charging. These findings provide valuable insight for future alloy design strategies aimed at mitigating H localization and preventing embrittlement.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":340,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Plasticity","volume":"196 ","pages":"Article 104546"},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2025-11-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145485096","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-10DOI: 10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104547
Wei Cheng, Zhen-Yu Yin
Gas hydrate-bearing sediments (GHBS), recognized as an emerging and highly promising unconventional energy resource, exhibit pronounced rate-, temperature-, and pore pressure-dependent mechanical behaviors that have been inadequately addressed or frequently overlooked in existing constitutive modeling frameworks. In this paper, a novel non-isothermal two-surface elasto-viscoplastic model is proposed based on the fractional consistency viscoplasticity and bounding surface theory to capture the key mechanical behaviors of GHBS under varying loading conditions. Specifically, a modified isotach viscosity formulation is first extended to account for hydrate conditions, with the creep coefficient expressed as an exponential function of hydrate saturation. Secondly, a two-surface (loading and yield surfaces) framework is formulated, integrating multifactorial viscoplastic hardening mechanisms, namely isotropic hardening, progressive hardening, and deviatoric degradation, along with a Caputo-formed non-orthogonal viscoplastic flow rule. Then, employing the consistency condition of the loading surface, an incremental constitutive relation is rigorously formulated to explicitly relate stress, strain, strain rate, temperature, pore pressure, and hydrate saturation. Finally, validation against experimental data demonstrates the model’s excellent capability to simulate mechanical behaviors under complex time-dependent stress paths. This robust, rate-dependent constitutive framework provides a fundamental basis for subsequent advancements aimed at incorporating a broader spectrum of pertinent factors, such as hydrate dissociation, extended temperature ranges, multi-component effects, and particle crushing, etc.
{"title":"A non-isothermal fractional consistency two-surface viscoplasticity model for gas hydrate-bearing sediments","authors":"Wei Cheng, Zhen-Yu Yin","doi":"10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104547","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104547","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Gas hydrate-bearing sediments (GHBS), recognized as an emerging and highly promising unconventional energy resource, exhibit pronounced rate-, temperature-, and pore pressure-dependent mechanical behaviors that have been inadequately addressed or frequently overlooked in existing constitutive modeling frameworks. In this paper, a novel non-isothermal two-surface elasto-viscoplastic model is proposed based on the fractional consistency viscoplasticity and bounding surface theory to capture the key mechanical behaviors of GHBS under varying loading conditions. Specifically, a modified isotach viscosity formulation is first extended to account for hydrate conditions, with the creep coefficient expressed as an exponential function of hydrate saturation. Secondly, a two-surface (loading and yield surfaces) framework is formulated, integrating multifactorial viscoplastic hardening mechanisms, namely isotropic hardening, progressive hardening, and deviatoric degradation, along with a Caputo-formed non-orthogonal viscoplastic flow rule. Then, employing the consistency condition of the loading surface, an incremental constitutive relation is rigorously formulated to explicitly relate stress, strain, strain rate, temperature, pore pressure, and hydrate saturation. Finally, validation against experimental data demonstrates the model’s excellent capability to simulate mechanical behaviors under complex time-dependent stress paths. This robust, rate-dependent constitutive framework provides a fundamental basis for subsequent advancements aimed at incorporating a broader spectrum of pertinent factors, such as hydrate dissociation, extended temperature ranges, multi-component effects, and particle crushing, <em>etc</em>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":340,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Plasticity","volume":"196 ","pages":"Article 104547"},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2025-11-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145478024","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-05DOI: 10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104545
Fusheng Tan , Xin Liu , Xuefeng Liang , Yinan Cui
Vacancy properties in High-entropy alloys (HEAs) play a critical role in governing high-temperature microstructural stability, yet the fundamental relationship between Vacancy Formation Energy (VFE) and heterogeneous Local Atomic Environments (LAE) in HEAs remains far from well understood, owing to the complex and heterogeneous nature of LAE. To address this, we developed an interpretable machine learning framework integrating high-throughput molecular dynamics simulations and physics-informed features. Using CoNiCrFeMn as model system, our approach achieves exceptional prediction accuracy (R² = 0.98) for VFE. It is found that the LAE within the first-nearest-neighbor shell around vacancy dominates VFE variations, and the local atomic spatial ordering exerts influence on VFE comparable in magnitude to local chemical composition. Based on the designated LAE descriptor, namely multilevel element pair probability, and feature analysis-guided physics interpretation, we identify for the first time the physical origin of LAE-mediated VFE as the synergistic strong/weak-bond elements competition and lattice distortion effects. Specifically, coexisting strong-bond (e.g., Ni) and weak-bond (e.g., Mn) atoms in 1NN shell around central vacancy drive offsetting displacements through lattice distortion, dynamically tailoring VFE. The mechanism explains anomalously high lattice distortion and elevated vacancy concentrations observed in Mn-containing CoNiCrFeMn HEAs, and further enables a strategy for enhancing vacancy stability via annealing-induced elemental aggregation. These results establish a theoretical framework for defect engineering in the design of complex solid-solution alloys.
{"title":"Data-inspired atomic environment-dependence of vacancy formation energy in high-entropy alloys","authors":"Fusheng Tan , Xin Liu , Xuefeng Liang , Yinan Cui","doi":"10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104545","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104545","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Vacancy properties in High-entropy alloys (HEAs) play a critical role in governing high-temperature microstructural stability, yet the fundamental relationship between Vacancy Formation Energy (VFE) and heterogeneous Local Atomic Environments (LAE) in HEAs remains far from well understood, owing to the complex and heterogeneous nature of LAE. To address this, we developed an interpretable machine learning framework integrating high-throughput molecular dynamics simulations and physics-informed features. Using CoNiCrFeMn as model system, our approach achieves exceptional prediction accuracy (R² = 0.98) for VFE. It is found that the LAE within the first-nearest-neighbor shell around vacancy dominates VFE variations, and the local atomic spatial ordering exerts influence on VFE comparable in magnitude to local chemical composition. Based on the designated LAE descriptor, namely multilevel element pair probability, and feature analysis-guided physics interpretation, we identify for the first time the physical origin of LAE-mediated VFE as the synergistic strong/weak-bond elements competition and lattice distortion effects. Specifically, coexisting strong-bond (e.g., Ni) and weak-bond (e.g., Mn) atoms in 1NN shell around central vacancy drive offsetting displacements through lattice distortion, dynamically tailoring VFE. The mechanism explains anomalously high lattice distortion and elevated vacancy concentrations observed in Mn-containing CoNiCrFeMn HEAs, and further enables a strategy for enhancing vacancy stability via annealing-induced elemental aggregation. These results establish a theoretical framework for defect engineering in the design of complex solid-solution alloys.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":340,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Plasticity","volume":"195 ","pages":"Article 104545"},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2025-11-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145447595","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-05DOI: 10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104543
Lanxi Feng , Wanghui Li , Wenxuan Tang , Zhuochen Chen , Xiaoqing Zhang , Yilun Xu , Guglielmo Vastola , Fu-Zhi Dai , Yong-Wei Zhang , Xiaohu Yao
Conventional ceramics have ultra-high strength but often lack plasticity. The high-entropy carbide ceramics (HECCs) offer a new perspective to enhance the plasticity of ceramics, which may extend their applicability as components operating under extreme conditions. However, there still lacks research on the dynamic behavior of HECCs, causing a poor understanding of their plastic response to dynamic loading. In this work, the dynamic behavior of a high-entropy ceramic (Zr0.2Hf0.2Ti0.2Nb0.2Ta0.2)C (denoted as HEC) under shock compression is investigated, for the first time, by the plate impact experiments with two-stage gas gun and molecular dynamics simulations utilizing a deep learning potential based on accurate first-principles data. With increasing shock pressure, HEC undergoes a pronounced elastic-plastic transition characterized by the formation of multiple plastic deformation bands, local phase transition and amorphization, which involve the activations of and slip systems simultaneously. The local lattice distortions in HEC are found to influence the behavior of dislocation propagation during shock compression. Instead of following predefined paths, dislocations tend to deviate at the propagation front, resulting in the formation of vacancies. Our findings reveal the hierarchical plastic deformation mediated by multi-competing mechanisms in HEC under extreme conditions, suggesting a promising strategy for achieving HECCs that are both strong and ductile.
{"title":"Shock-induced hierarchical plastic deformations in high entropy (Zr0.2Hf0.2Ti0.2Nb0.2Ta0.2)C at high strain rate","authors":"Lanxi Feng , Wanghui Li , Wenxuan Tang , Zhuochen Chen , Xiaoqing Zhang , Yilun Xu , Guglielmo Vastola , Fu-Zhi Dai , Yong-Wei Zhang , Xiaohu Yao","doi":"10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104543","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104543","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Conventional ceramics have ultra-high strength but often lack plasticity. The high-entropy carbide ceramics (HECCs) offer a new perspective to enhance the plasticity of ceramics, which may extend their applicability as components operating under extreme conditions. However, there still lacks research on the dynamic behavior of HECCs, causing a poor understanding of their plastic response to dynamic loading. In this work, the dynamic behavior of a high-entropy ceramic (Zr<sub>0.2</sub>Hf<sub>0.2</sub>Ti<sub>0.2</sub>Nb<sub>0.2</sub>Ta<sub>0.2</sub>)C (denoted as HEC) under shock compression is investigated, for the first time, by the plate impact experiments with two-stage gas gun and molecular dynamics simulations utilizing a deep learning potential based on accurate first-principles data. With increasing shock pressure, HEC undergoes a pronounced elastic-plastic transition characterized by the formation of multiple plastic deformation bands, local phase transition and amorphization, which involve the activations of <span><math><mrow><mo><</mo><mn>1</mn><mspace></mspace><mover><mn>1</mn><mo>¯</mo></mover><mspace></mspace><mn>0</mn><mo>></mo><mrow><mo>{</mo><mn>1</mn><mspace></mspace><mn>1</mn><mspace></mspace><mn>0</mn><mo>}</mo></mrow></mrow></math></span> and <span><math><mrow><mo><</mo><mn>1</mn><mspace></mspace><mover><mn>1</mn><mo>¯</mo></mover><mspace></mspace><mn>0</mn><mo>></mo><mrow><mo>{</mo><mn>1</mn><mspace></mspace><mn>1</mn><mspace></mspace><mn>1</mn><mo>}</mo></mrow></mrow></math></span> slip systems simultaneously. The local lattice distortions in HEC are found to influence the behavior of dislocation propagation during shock compression. Instead of following predefined paths, dislocations tend to deviate at the propagation front, resulting in the formation of vacancies. Our findings reveal the hierarchical plastic deformation mediated by multi-competing mechanisms in HEC under extreme conditions, suggesting a promising strategy for achieving HECCs that are both strong and ductile.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":340,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Plasticity","volume":"196 ","pages":"Article 104543"},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2025-11-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145441398","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-05DOI: 10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104541
H.T. Li , X.M. Wang , H. Cheng , Z.L. Ding , S.Y. Sun , W.Z. Yang , Y. Wang
Crack nucleation, propagation and coalescence in anisotropic Ni-based single crystal superalloys are critical to the durability of aero engines hot-section components. This study develops a coupled crystal-plasticity and phase-field model to capture the fracture behavior for the materials and account for the coupling effects between plasticity and damage. The framework incorporates a fracture toughness degradation function driven by plastic strain energy, directly illustrating the influence of plastic deformation on crack resistance. Additionally, a yield surface degradation function, incorporated into power-law flow theory, accounts for damage-induced strength reduction and prevents numerical instabilities in severely damaged zones. Furthermore, elastoplastic constitutive relations are decomposed into crack-driving and persistent components within a variational framework, addressing tension-compression asymmetry for fracture behavior and satisfying the orthogonality decomposition condition for anisotropic materials. The proposed model is validated through numerical examples, demonstrating its ability to accurately predict experimental results and elucidate the anisotropic fracture processes in Ni-based single crystal superalloys. This work provides a robust framework for understanding and predicting fracture in anisotropic materials, with potential applications for advancing aerospace hot-section component design.
{"title":"A coupled crystal plasticity-phase field framework for anisotropic fracture in Ni-based single crystals","authors":"H.T. Li , X.M. Wang , H. Cheng , Z.L. Ding , S.Y. Sun , W.Z. Yang , Y. Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104541","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104541","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Crack nucleation, propagation and coalescence in anisotropic Ni-based single crystal superalloys are critical to the durability of aero engines hot-section components. This study develops a coupled crystal-plasticity and phase-field model to capture the fracture behavior for the materials and account for the coupling effects between plasticity and damage. The framework incorporates a fracture toughness degradation function driven by plastic strain energy, directly illustrating the influence of plastic deformation on crack resistance. Additionally, a yield surface degradation function, incorporated into power-law flow theory, accounts for damage-induced strength reduction and prevents numerical instabilities in severely damaged zones. Furthermore, elastoplastic constitutive relations are decomposed into crack-driving and persistent components within a variational framework, addressing tension-compression asymmetry for fracture behavior and satisfying the orthogonality decomposition condition for anisotropic materials. The proposed model is validated through numerical examples, demonstrating its ability to accurately predict experimental results and elucidate the anisotropic fracture processes in Ni-based single crystal superalloys. This work provides a robust framework for understanding and predicting fracture in anisotropic materials, with potential applications for advancing aerospace hot-section component design.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":340,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Plasticity","volume":"195 ","pages":"Article 104541"},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2025-11-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145441396","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-05DOI: 10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104542
Qianhua Yang , Yang Yang , Binwen Wang , Yupei Guo , Xiang Chen
The shock-induced multi-spall processes of nanocrystalline titanium alloys were simulated based on molecular dynamics method in this study to reveal the multi-spall damage mechanism caused by non-planar effect of shock wave induced by microscopic interface. The microscopic interface in nanocrystalline titanium alloys caused non-planar effect of shock wave propagation and hindered shock wave propagation. The shapes of non-planar shock wave in nanocrystalline dual-phase titanium alloys were affected by the distribution of second phase grain. Based on the relationship between the evolution law of tensile stress and the nucleation principle of multi-spall voids, it was found that the multi-spall voids nucleated at microscopic interface under tensile stress generated by the encounter between the secondary reflected wave and the reflected wave for the first time. The non-uniform distribution of tensile stress generated by the encounter between the non-uniform propagation reflected waves led to the non-uniform distribution of multi-spall voids at microscopic interface. The increase of dislocation density caused by second phase grain hindered the secondary void nucleation in nanocrystalline dual-phase titanium alloys, resulting in the difference in secondary void nucleation between nanocrystalline single-phase titanium alloy and nanocrystalline dual-phase titanium alloys. The damage rate () at the spall stage and strain rate () at the shock stage were positively correlated and followed the relationship: ( and were fitting parameters and related to the microstructure of material and shock conditions). The multi-voids still nucleated at microscopic interfaces and the intergranular spall occurred in nanocrystalline titanium alloys although the shock velocity increased.
{"title":"Molecular dynamics study on the multi-spallation of Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy caused by non-planar effect of shock wave induced by microscopic interface","authors":"Qianhua Yang , Yang Yang , Binwen Wang , Yupei Guo , Xiang Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104542","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104542","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The shock-induced multi-spall processes of nanocrystalline titanium alloys were simulated based on molecular dynamics method in this study to reveal the multi-spall damage mechanism caused by non-planar effect of shock wave induced by microscopic interface. The microscopic interface in nanocrystalline titanium alloys caused non-planar effect of shock wave propagation and hindered shock wave propagation. The shapes of non-planar shock wave in nanocrystalline dual-phase titanium alloys were affected by the distribution of second phase grain. Based on the relationship between the evolution law of tensile stress and the nucleation principle of multi-spall voids, it was found that the multi-spall voids nucleated at microscopic interface under tensile stress generated by the encounter between the secondary reflected wave and the reflected wave for the first time. The non-uniform distribution of tensile stress generated by the encounter between the non-uniform propagation reflected waves led to the non-uniform distribution of multi-spall voids at microscopic interface. The increase of dislocation density caused by second phase grain hindered the secondary void nucleation in nanocrystalline dual-phase titanium alloys, resulting in the difference in secondary void nucleation between nanocrystalline single-phase titanium alloy and nanocrystalline dual-phase titanium alloys. The damage rate (<span><math><mover><mi>D</mi><mi>˙</mi></mover></math></span>) at the spall stage and strain rate (<span><math><mover><mrow><mi>ε</mi></mrow><mi>˙</mi></mover></math></span>) at the shock stage were positively correlated and followed the relationship: <span><math><mrow><mover><mi>D</mi><mi>˙</mi></mover><mo>=</mo><mi>a</mi><msup><mrow><mover><mrow><mi>ε</mi></mrow><mi>˙</mi></mover></mrow><mi>b</mi></msup></mrow></math></span> (<span><math><mi>a</mi></math></span> and <span><math><mi>b</mi></math></span> were fitting parameters and related to the microstructure of material and shock conditions). The multi-voids still nucleated at microscopic interfaces and the intergranular spall occurred in nanocrystalline titanium alloys although the shock velocity increased.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":340,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Plasticity","volume":"196 ","pages":"Article 104542"},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2025-11-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145441399","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-05DOI: 10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104544
Minqian Liu , Danyang Lin , Yankun Zhang , Dong Wang , Bo Xiao , Lianyong Xu , Yongdian Han , Fumiyoshi Minami
Heterostructure (HS) materials are selected in natural evolution to exhibit superior mechanical and functional properties that traditional homogeneous materials cannot achieve. However, it is an open issue how to prepare HS alloys without destroying the advantages of laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) to directly form complex components. Here, based on the high stored energy of LPBF components, we obtained bimodal HS LPBF-NiTi shape memory alloys (SMAs) by recrystallization and abnormal grain growth induced by simple heat treatment after LPBF for the first time. The grain size of LPBF-NiTi SMAs can be regulated by modulating the heat treatment temperature. Homogeneous equiaxed fine grains (FGs), homogeneous coarse grains (CGs), and bimodal HS can be obtained after heat treatment at 780℃, 880℃, and 980℃, respectively. It is shown that LPBF-NiTi alloys with bimodal HS exhibit extraordinary strength-ductility (σMTS-δ balance: 13,810 MPa•%) and superelasticity (SE) (σC-δC balance: 2232 MPa•% and 96 % of SE recovery rate in 4 % applied strain). The intrinsic mechanism leading to property enhancement was studied through in-situ experiments and simulations. It is due to the strain optimization induced by heterogeneous regions, which promotes phase transformation and alleviates plastic deformation, avoiding strain localization. This work provides theoretical and practical significance for the property improvement and application promotion of the LPBF-NiTi alloy and may open a novel avenue for fabricating other LPBF alloys with HS.
{"title":"Excellent mechanical properties and superelasticity: bimodal heterostructure enhances NiTi alloy fabricated via laser powder bed fusion","authors":"Minqian Liu , Danyang Lin , Yankun Zhang , Dong Wang , Bo Xiao , Lianyong Xu , Yongdian Han , Fumiyoshi Minami","doi":"10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104544","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104544","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Heterostructure (HS) materials are selected in natural evolution to exhibit superior mechanical and functional properties that traditional homogeneous materials cannot achieve. However, it is an open issue how to prepare HS alloys without destroying the advantages of laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) to directly form complex components. Here, based on the high stored energy of LPBF components, we obtained bimodal HS LPBF-NiTi shape memory alloys (SMAs) by recrystallization and abnormal grain growth induced by simple heat treatment after LPBF for the first time. The grain size of LPBF-NiTi SMAs can be regulated by modulating the heat treatment temperature. Homogeneous equiaxed fine grains (FGs), homogeneous coarse grains (CGs), and bimodal HS can be obtained after heat treatment at 780℃, 880℃, and 980℃, respectively. It is shown that LPBF-NiTi alloys with bimodal HS exhibit extraordinary strength-ductility (σ<sub>MTS</sub>-δ balance: 13,810 MPa•%) and superelasticity (SE) (σ<sub>C</sub>-δ<sub>C</sub> balance: 2232 MPa•% and 96 % of SE recovery rate in 4 % applied strain). The intrinsic mechanism leading to property enhancement was studied through in-situ experiments and simulations. It is due to the strain optimization induced by heterogeneous regions, which promotes phase transformation and alleviates plastic deformation, avoiding strain localization. This work provides theoretical and practical significance for the property improvement and application promotion of the LPBF-NiTi alloy and may open a novel avenue for fabricating other LPBF alloys with HS.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":340,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Plasticity","volume":"195 ","pages":"Article 104544"},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2025-11-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145447566","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}