Effect of nanotwin and dislocation pileup at twin boundary on dislocation emission from an interfacial collinear crack tip in nanocrystalline bimaterials

Abstract

The interaction between nanotwin and dislocation pileup at twin boundary and interface cracks are of vital importance in studying the toughening mechanism of nanocrystalline materials. We have developed a theoretical model to discuss the effects of nanotwin and dislocation pileup on dislocation emission from an interfacial collinear crack tip in nanocrystalline bimaterials. The nanotwin as a stress source can be descripted by two disclination dipoles, and some dislocations produced by the grain boundary pile up at twin boundary. Using the complex potential method, the complex form of dislocation force and critical stress intensity factors (SIFs) corresponding to dislocation emission under remote plane loadings are deduced. Through numerical analysis, it is discussed that the effects of twin strength, twin orientation, twin size, twin position, dislocation pileup, crack length, and material constant on the critical SIF corresponding to dislocation emission in detail. The results show that the nanoscale twin and the dislocation pileup at the twin boundary will hinder dislocation emitted from the collinear crack tip and reduce toughness caused by dislocation emission. There is a critical nanotwin size making the critical SIF equal to zero and a best twin position minimizing the value of the critical SIF making dislocations emission easiest. The shear modulus of the two half plane have great influence on the critical SIF.

Keywords:

• Dislocation emission
• stress intensity factor
• nanocrytalline bi-materials
• nanotwin
• dislocation pileup
• complex variable method

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The authors would like to deeply appreciate the support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grant No.11602308] and the Introducing High-level Talent Research Fund of Central South University of Forestry and Technology [104-0096].