A Surface Transition Layer Model for Size Effect in T2 Copper Micro-Compression

Abstract

The effects of sample size and grain size on the surface morphology and flow stress of deformed samples were investigated by means of copper micro-cylinder compression experiments at room temperature. The results of SEM showed that when the grain size increased or the sample size decreased, the deformation non-uniformity of samples’ free surfaces increased. Meanwhile, the stress–strain curves showed that during the compression process, the flow stress of the sample also tended to decrease as the grain size increased or the sample size decreased. According to the experimental results of nanoindentation, a surface transition layer model was established on the basis of the surface layer model by considering the mutual constraint of grains and the existence of transition layer grains. The experimental results indicated that the stress–strain curve calculated by the surface transition layer model can more accurately reflect the actual deformation situation of the material compared to the surface layer model.