Nanograin formation in dimple ridges due to local severe-plastic-deformation during ductile fracture

Abstract

Nanograin materials have superior properties in mechanics, physics and chemistry. Here, we found a new phenomenon that nanograin formation spontaneously occurs in the process of ductile fracture for a titanium alloy, and the dominating mechanism is local severe-plastic-deformation (LSPD). The microstructure evolution during the entire process of monotonic tension was revealed to further understand the ductile fracture from plastic deformation to necking, and to final failure, especially in the post uniform deformation stage, in which the voids nucleate, grow and coalesce. The process of the LSPD can potentially provide a new concept and approach to design and produce high ductile materials, in which nanograin formation will consume massive strain energy to enable the large elongation after specimen necking in the post uniform deformation.