Molecular Dynamics Study on the Impact of Cu Clusters at the BCC-Fe Grain Boundary on the Tensile Properties of Crystal

Abstract

The molecular dynamics (MD) method was used to simulate and calculate the segregation energy and cohesive energy of Cu atoms at the Σ3{111}(110) and Σ3{112}(110) grain boundaries, and the tensile properties of the BCC-Fe crystal, with the grain boundaries containing coherent Cu clusters of different sizes (a diameter of 10 Å, 15 Å and 20 Å). The results showed that Cu atoms will spontaneously segregate towards the grain boundaries and tend to exist in the form of large-sized, low-density Cu clusters at the grain boundaries. When Cu cluster exists at the Σ3{111}(110) grain boundary, the increase in the size of the Cu cluster leads to an increase in the probability of vacancy formation inside the Cu cluster during the tensile process, weakening the breaking strength of the crystal. When the Cu cluster exists at the Σ3{112}(110) grain boundary, the Cu cluster with a diameter of 10 Å will reduce the strain hardening strength of the crystal, but the plastic deformation ability of the crystal will not be affected, and the existence of Cu clusters with a diameter of 15 Å and 20 Å will suppress the structural phase transformation of the crystal, and significantly decrease the plastic deformation ability of the crystal, thereby resulting in embrittlement of the crystal.