On nanostructured molybdenum-copper composites produced by high-pressure torsion.

Nanostructured molybdenum-copper composites have been produced through severe plastic deformation of liquid-metal infiltrated Cu30Mo70 and Cu50Mo50 (wt%) starting materials. Processing was carried out using high-pressure torsion at room temperature with no subsequent sintering treatment, producing a porosity-free, ultrafine-grained composite. Extensive deformation of the Cu50Mo50 composite via two-step high-pressure torsion produced equiaxed nanoscale grains of Mo and Cu with a grain size of 10-15 nm. Identical treatment of Cu30Mo70 produced a ultrafine, lamellar structure, comprised of Cu and Mo layers with thicknesses of ∼ 5 and ∼ 10 - 20 nm , respectively, and an interlamellar spacing of 9 nm. This microstructure differs substantially from that of HPT-deformed Cu-Cr and Cu-W composites, in which the lamellar microstructure breaks down at high strains. The ultrafine-grained structure and absence of porosity resulted in composites with Vickers hardness values of 600 for Cu30Mo70 and 475 for Cu50Mo50. The ability to produce Cu30Mo70 nanocomposites with a combination of high-strength, and a fine, oriented microstructure should be of interest for thermoelectric applications.

Microstructure study of a severely plastically deformed Mg-Zn-Y alloy by application of low angle annular dark field diffraction contrast imaging.

Microstructural investigation of extremely strained samples, such as severely plastically deformed (SPD) materials, by using conventional transmission electron microscopy techniques is very challenging due to strong image contrast resulting from the high defect density. In this study, low angle annular dark field (LAADF) imaging mode of scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) has been applied to study the microstructure of a Mg-3Zn-0.5Y (at%) alloy processed by high pressure torsion (HPT). LAADF imaging advantages for observation of twinning, grain fragmentation, nucleation of recrystallized grains and precipitation on second phase particles in the alloy processed by HPT are highlighted. By using STEM-LAADF imaging with a range of incident angles, various microstructural features have been imaged, such as nanoscale subgrain structure and recrystallization nucleation even from the thicker region of the highly strained matrix. It is shown that nucleation of recrystallized grains starts at a strain level of revolution [Formula: see text] (earlier than detected by conventional bright field imaging). Occurrence of recrystallization of grains by nucleating heterogeneously on quasicrystalline particles is also confirmed. Minimizing all strain effects by LAADF imaging facilitated grain size measurement of [Formula: see text] nm in fully recrystallized HPT specimen after [Formula: see text].