Embrittlement of Metal by Solute Segregation-Induced Amorphization

作者:Chen Hsiu Pin*; Kalia Rajiv K; Kaxiras Efthimios; Lu Gang; Nakano Aiichiro; Nomura Ken ichi; van Duin Adri C T; Vashishta Priya; Yuan Zaoshi
来源:Physical Review Letters, 2010, 104(15): 155502.
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevLett.104.155502

摘要

Impurities segregated to grain boundaries of a material essentially alter its fracture behavior. A prime example is sulfur segregation-induced embrittlement of nickel, where an observed relation between sulfur-induced amorphization of grain boundaries and embrittlement remains unexplained. Here, 48 x 10(6)-atom reactive-force-field molecular dynamics simulations provide the missing link. Namely, an order-of-magnitude reduction of grain-boundary shear strength due to amorphization, combined with tensile-strength reduction, allows the crack tip to always find an easy propagation path.

  • 出版日期2010-4-16