Yield strength of overaged alloys containing coherent ordered precipitates

Abstract

The existing models for yielding of overaged alloys do not account for the observed strain rate sensitivity of the yield stress and predict a sharper decrease in stress as a function of particle size than the experimental observations. A dynamic model has been presented here to account for the yield strength of overaged alloys containing coherent ordered precipitates which takes into consideration the intrinsic characteristics of the precipitates. Concentric glide loops are supposed to form around precipitate particles. Their sizes as a function of applied stress have been computed. The stress on the innermost loop rises with increasing applied stress and when it exceeds the opposing force due to antiphase boundary, the loops shrink. The rate of shrinkage of loops has been calculated for different values of applied stresses. The yielding occurs when the external stress is high enough to account for the applied strain rate. The model has been applied to calculate the yield strength of an austenitic stainless steel containingγ’ precipitates. The antiphase boundary energy of the precipitates was measured by dislocation pair spacing method. The mode of variation of calculated yield stress values with particle size is predicted more accurately than by earlier models. The model qualitatively accounts for the observed sensitivity of yield stress to strain rate and antiphase boundary energy of the precipitates.