In this study, efforts were made to establish a generic relation between the Young’s modulus and the electron work function of polycrystalline metals, in which Young’s Modulus was defined as the second order derivative of interaction potential with respect to the equilibrium distance. The obtained Young’s modulus shows a sextic relation with the work function. Data of Young’s modulus and work function of polycrystalline metals, including Alkali earth metals, transition metals, and rare earth metals, can be fitted reasonably well by this derived generic relationship.
In this study, an effort is made to establish the correlation between electron work function (EWF) and mechanical properties of metals such as yielding strength and hardness. In general, the intrinsic resistance of metals to plastic deformation depends on their atomic bond strength that is essentially governed by the electron behavior. Based on the Peierls–Nabarro model, an intrinsic sixth‐power dependence of the yield strength of metals on their EWF is derived. Such a relation can also be extended to hardness. The established correlations are verified by the reported experimental results of transition metals and rare‐earth metals.
Local electron work function, adhesive force, modulus and deformation of ferrite and austenite phases in a duplex stainless steel were analyzed by scanning force microscopy. It is demonstrated that the austenite has a higher electron work function than the ferrite, corresponding to higher modulus, smaller deformation and larger adhesive force. Relevant first-principles calculations were conducted to elucidate the mechanism behind. It is demonstrated that the difference in the properties between austenite and ferrite is intrinsically related to their electron work functions.
Mechanical and thermal behaviors of nitrogen-doped Zr-Cu-Al-Ag-Ta--An alternative class of thin film metallic glass Appl.In this article, we demonstrate that the electron work function (EWF) as an intrinsic parameter can provide information or clues in a simple or straightforward way for material design, modification, and development. A higher work function of a material represents a more stable electronic state, which consequently generates a higher resistance to any attempt of changing the electronic state and other corresponding states, e.g., changes in structure or microstructure caused by mechanical and electrochemical actions. Using Cu-Ni alloy as an example, we demonstrate the correlation between the EWF and Young's modulus of the material as well as its hardness. The properties of a material can be modified using elements with appropriate work functions. This is also applicable for tailoring inter-phase boundaries or interfaces. V C 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.
Microstructural inhomogeneity generally deteriorates the corrosion resistance of materials due to the galvanic effect and interfacial issues. However, the situation may change for nanostructured materials. This article reports our studies on the corrosion behavior of SiC nanoparticle-reinforced Al6061 matrix composite. It was observed that the corrosion resistance of Al6061 increased when SiC nanoparticles were added. Overall electron work function (EWF) of the Al-SiC nanocomposite increased, along with an increase in the corrosion potential. The electron localization function of the Al-SiC nanocomposite was calculated and the results revealed that valence electrons were localized in the region of SiC-Al interface, resulting in an increase in the overall work function and thus building a higher barrier to hinder electrons in the nano-composite to participate in corrosion reactions.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.