Dislocation nucleation governed softening and maximum strength in nano-twinned metals

In conventional metals, there is plenty of space for dislocations-line defects whose motion results in permanent material deformation-to multiply, so that the metal strengths are controlled by dislocation interactions with grain boundaries(1,2) and other obstacles(3,4). For nano-structured materials, in contrast, dislocation multiplication is severely confined by the nanometre-scale geometries so that continued plasticity can be expected to be source-controlled. Nano-grained polycrystalline materials were found to be strong but brittle(5-9), because both nucleation and motion of dislocations are effectively suppressed by the nanoscale crystallites. Here we report a dislocation-nucleation-controlled mechanism in nano-twinned metals(10,11) in which there are plenty of dislocation nucleation sites but dislocation motion is not confined. We show that dislocation nucleation governs the strength of such materials, resulting in their softening below a critical twin thickness. Large-scale molecular dynamics simulations and a kinetic theory of dislocation nucleation in nano-twinned metals show that there exists a transition in deformation mechanism, occurring at a critical twin-boundary spacing for which strength is maximized. At this point, the classical Hall-Petch type of strengthening due to dislocation pile-up and cutting through twin planes switches to a dislocation-nucleation-controlled softening mechanism with twin-boundary migration resulting from nucleation and motion of partial dislocations parallel to the twin planes. Most previous studies(12,13) did not consider a sufficient range of twin thickness and therefore missed this strength-softening regime. The simulations indicate that the critical twin-boundary spacing for the onset of softening in nano-twinned copper and the maximum strength depend on the grain size: the smaller the grain size, the smaller the critical twin-boundary spacing, and the higher the maximum strength of the material.

Size-Dependent Adhesion Strength of a Single Viscoelastic Fiber

Nano-fibrillar adhesives can adhere strongly to surfaces as a gecko does. The size of each fiber has significant effects on the adhesion enhancement, especially on rough surfaces. In the present study, we report the size effects on the normal and shear strength of adhesion for a single viscoelastic fiber. It is found that there exists a limited region of the critical sizes under which the interfacial normal or tangential tractions uniformly attain the theoretical adhesion strength. The region for a viscoelastic fiber under tension with similar material constants to a gecko's spatula is 135-255 nm and that under torque is 26.5-52 nm. This finding is significant for the development of artificial biomimetic attachment systems.

Use of Zr/Rb ratios in Chinese loess sequences to trace paleo-winter monsoon winds strength

IEECAS SKLLQG

Emittance estimation by an ion optical element with variable focusing strength and a viewing target

The emittance of an extracted ion beam can be estimated to first order by a series of three linear independent profile measurements. This estimation is restricted to the evaluation of an upper limit of the emittance value for a homogeneous, nonfilamented beam. The beam is assumed to be round, respectively elliptical, without any structure of the intensity distribution, no space charge has been assumed for the drifting beam, and the optics is assumed to be linear. Instead of using three different drift sections, a linear focusing element with three different focusing strengths can be used. Plotting the beam radius as function of focusing strength, three independent solutions can be used to calculate the Twiss parameters alpha, beta, and gamma and furthermore the emittance epsilon. Here we describe the measurements which have been performed with the SECRAL ion source at Institute of Modern Physics Lanzhou.

Effect of acid strength distribution on conversion of FCC gasoline over a ZSM-5 zeolite catalyst

Acid strength distribution and the distribution of aromatics formed in the FCC gasoline conversion reaction on a ZSM-5 zeolite with different Na contents have been studied. With increasing Na content in the ZSM-5 zeolite, the acid sites determined by NH3-TPD technique, especially the strong acid sites, clearly decrease. When used as catalyst for the aromatization reaction, the transformation of olefins in the FCC gasoline into aromatics is governed directly by the strong acid sites on the ZSM-5 catalyst. Only under the conditions that a ZSM-5 catalyst possesses suitable strong acid sites is reaction temperature favorable for the aromatics formed.

Effect of sodium alginate concentration on membrane strength and permeating property of poly-l-arginine group microcapsule

A novel poly-l-arginine microcapsule was prepared due to its nutritional function and pharmacological efficacy. A high-voltage electrostatic droplet generator was used to make uniform microcapsules. The results show that the membrane strength and permeating property are both remarkably affected with the changes of sodium alginate concentration. With the sodium alginate concentration increasing, gel beads sizes increase from 233 mum to 350 mum, release ratio is also higher at the same time, but the membrane strength decreases.

The role of acid strength of zeolites in liquid-phase alkylation of benzene with ethylene

The role of acid strength of zeolites in liquid-phase alkylation of benzene with ethylene was studied over beta, MCM-22, and USY zeolites by means of adsorbing NH3 at different temperatures. The strong acid sites are active centers, while the weak acid sites are inactive. The selectivity behavior of the strong acid sites varies with the relative acid strength as well as the types of the zeolites.

Influences of Gd on the microstructure and strength of Mg-4.5Zn alloy

Microstructure and mechanical properties of peak-aged Mg-4.5Zn-xGd (x=0, 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 wt.%) alloys have been investigated. The results showed that the grain size of the alloys was refined gradually with increasing Gd. Mg5Gd and Mg3Gd2Zn3 phases were found in the Gd-containing alloys. The strengths were greatly improved with Gd additions, and the highest strength level was obtained in the Mg-4.5Zn-1.5Gd alloy, in which the ultimate tensile strength and yield strength were 231 MPa and 113 MPa, respectively.

Characterization of High Melt Strength Polypropylene Synthesized via Silane Grafting Initiated by In Situ Heat Induction Reaction

High melt strength polypropylene (HMSPP) was synthesized by in situ heat induction reaction, in which pure polypropylene (PP) powders without any additives were used as a basic resin and vinyl trimethoxysilane (VTMS) as a grafting and crosslinking agent. The grafting reaction of VTMS with PP was confirmed by FTIR. The structure and properties of HMSPP were characterized by means of various measurements. The content of grafted silane played a key role on the melt strength and melt flow rate (MFR) of HMSPP. With increasing the content of grafted silane, the melt strength of HMSPP increased, and the MFR reduced. In addition, due to the existence of cross-linking structure, the thermal stability and tensile strength of HMSPP were improved compared with PP.