Special nanostructures in Al-Mg alloys subjected to high pressure torsion

Abstract

Deformation twins and stacking faults were observed in nanostructure Al-Mg alloys subjected to high pressure torsion. These observations are surprising because deformation twinnings have never been observed in their coarse-grained counterparts under normal conditions. Experimental evidences are introduced on non-equilibrium grain boundaries, deformation twinnings and partial dislocation emissions from grain boundaries. Some of these features can be explained by the results reported from molecular-dynamics simulations of pure FCC metals. Special emphasis is laid on the recent observations of high density hexagonal and rhombic shaped nanostructures with an average size of 3 nm in the Al-Mg alloys processed by high pressure torsion. A possible formation process of these nanostructures is proposed based on molecular-dynamics simulations.