Twin-thickness-controlled plastic deformation mechanisms are well understood for submicron-sized twin-structural polycrystalline metals. However, for twin-structural nanocrystalline metals where both the grain size and twin thickness reach the nanometre scale, how these metals accommodate plastic deformation remains unclear. Here, we report an integrated grain size and twin thickness effect on the deformation mode of twin-structural nanocrystalline platinum. Above a ∼10 nm grain size, there is a critical value of twin thickness at which the full dislocation intersecting with the twin plane switches to a deformation mode that results in a partial dislocation parallel to the twin planes. This critical twin thickness value varies from ∼6 to 10 nm and is grain size-dependent. For grain sizes between ∼10 to 6 nm, only partial dislocation parallel to twin planes is observed. When the grain size falls below 6 nm, the plasticity switches to grain boundary-mediated plasticity, in contrast with previous studies, suggesting that the plasticity in twin-structural nanocrystalline metals is governed by partial dislocation activities.
Detwinning is an important plastic deformation mechanism that can significantly affect the mechanical properties of twin-structured metals. Although many detwinning mechanisms have been proposed for pure metals, it is unclear whether such a deformation model is valid for nanocrystalline alloys because of the lack of direct evidence. Here, the atomicscale detwinning deformation process of a nanocrystalline AuAg alloy with an average grain size of~15 nm was investigated in situ. The results show that there are three types of detwinning mechanisms in nanocrystalline AuAg alloys. The first type of detwinning results from grain boundary migration. The second type of detwinning occurs through combined layer-by-layer thinning and incoherent twin boundary migration. The last one occurs through incoherent twin boundary migration, which results from the collective motion of partial dislocations in an array.
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