Twin Morphology Research Articles

Functionalization of basalt fibers with ZnO nanostructures by electroless deposition for improving the interfacial adhesion of basalt fibers/epoxy resin composites

Basalt fibers were functionalized by ZnO electroless deposition for obtaining a nanostructured interphase for enhancing the interfacial strength with an epoxy resin matrix. The structural, morphological and wetting properties of the pristine basalt fabrics and ZnO-coated basalt fabrics were evaluated. The fabrics were uniformly coated with ZnO nanostructures featuring a wurtzite structure and a twin hexagonal prism morphology. The contact angle measurements revealed that ZnO prisms transformed the hydrophilic basalt fabric into a hydrophobic one (~130°). ZnOs were also grown on the basalt fibers as yarns to evaluate their interfacial adhesion by single fiber pull-out tests. The results emphasize significant improvement in the apparent interfacial shear strength (~42%) with limited degradation of the pristine basalt fiber tensile strength (a reduction of ~ 17%). Therefore, ZnO electroless deposition can be regarded as an effective route to improve the mechanical performance of basalt/epoxy composites expanding their potential range of applications as structural materials.

The effects of free surfaces on deformation twinning in HCP metals

Deformation twinning is a predominant mode of plastic deformation for hexagonal close packed metals, like Mg and Ti. The heterogenous microstructure and the local stresses associated with twinning play a key role in their mechanical response and fracture. Surface analyses, like electron microscopy, are frequently employed to spatially map microstructure and micromechanical fields in order to study twinning behavior. However, these measurements are inherently influenced by the vicinity of the free surface. Here, an elasto-visco-plastic fast-Fourier-transform (EVP-FFT) polycrystal modeling approach is employed to investigate the effects of free surfaces on twin development before and after loading. We compare calculated micromechanical fields on free surfaces with those calculated inside the bulk and, in some cases, experimental surface measurements. The results indicate that the creation of free surfaces can promote twin propagation and growth and can influence twin morphology by causing a twin lamella to become larger, more blunted and irregular. The structure along the twin boundaries are also affected, due to the higher driving stresses that extend prismatic-basal and basal-prismatic facets. Furthermore, free surfaces invoke different slip activities in the twin and the surrounding parent crystal by enhancing basal, prismatic and pyramidal slip in some localized regions, while reducing slip in others. We demonstrate that the simulated free-surface effects lead to better qualitative and quantitative agreement with experimental measurements from scanning electron microscopy and digital image correlation.

Computer Technologies for Designing Close- Fitting Apparel with Specific Properties

In this study, based on the 3D scanning technology and virtual simulation, the digital twins of female bodies were adjusted and developed, and a virtual simulation of wetsuit was carried out. The virtual wetsuit was evaluated through the digital twin morphology, and the wetsuit sewing pattern block was optimized through composite material strain and compression value. The experimental tests show that the digital twins of system "body - wetsuit" based on real data transformation are feasible and practical, and the optimized pattern block guarantees good fit performance.

Zr addition-dependent twin morphology evolution and strengthening response in nanostructured Al thin films

Manipulating the twin morphology to achieve the reinforcement of strength is a great challenge in Al with high stacking fault energy. In this work, the influence of Zr addition on the twin morphology and strengthening response of nanostructured Al films was symmetrically studied. The results showed that, for low Zr addition (≤ 4.0 at.%), the Zr atoms were homogeneously distributed within the matrix, while Zr segregation at grain boundaries was evident at higher Zr addition (> 4.0 at.%). Twins were substantially observed in all the films, and the twin morphology was highly dependent on the Zr addition. In the pure Al film, only twins with a single coherent twin boundary were detected. In comparison, nanotwins with coplanar twin boundaries (C-nanotwins) and 9R phase were predominant in the Al-Zr films with Zr addition ≤ 4.0 at.%. Further raising the Zr content, multiple nanotwins (M-nanotwins) coexisted with the C-nanotwins and 9R phase. In particular, a zero-strain twinning mechanism was applied to account for the C-nanotwins and 9R phase formation, and a zig-zag grain boundary feature induced by Zr segregation was responsible for the M-nanotwin formation. The hardness also exhibited a strong Zr dependence that increased monotonically with the Zr addition. The Al-13.4 at.% Zr film displayed a hardness of ~4.3 GPa, about 11 times greater than the pure Al film. Strengthening mechanisms were quantitatively evaluated, and the highly-promoted hardness was mainly ascribed to the 9R phase and solid solution strengthening.

Discordant clinical features of identical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy twins

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a disease of heart muscle, which affects ∼1 in 500 individuals and is characterized by increased left ventricular wall thickness. While HCM is caused by pathogenic variants in any one of eight sarcomere protein genes, clinical expression varies considerably, even among patients with the same pathogenic variant. To determine whether background genetic variation or environmental factors drive these differences, we studied disease progression in 11 pairs of monozygotic HCM twins. The twin pairs were followed for 5 to 14 y, and left ventricular wall thickness, left atrial diameter, and left ventricular ejection fraction were collected from echocardiograms at various time points. All nine twin pairs with sarcomere protein gene variants and two with unknown disease etiologies had discordant morphologic features of the heart, demonstrating the influence of nonhereditable factors on clinical expression of HCM. Whole genome sequencing analysis of the six monozygotic twins with discordant HCM phenotypes did not reveal notable somatic genetic variants that might explain their clinical differences. Discordant cardiac morphology of identical twins highlights a significant role for epigenetics and environment in HCM disease progression.

The Effects of Free Surfaces on Deformation Twinning in HCP Metals

Deformation twinning is a predominant mode of plastic deformation for hexagonal close packed metals, like Mg and Ti. The heterogenous microstructure and the local stresses associated with twinning play a key role in their mechanical response and fracture. Surface analyses, like electron microscopy, are frequently employed to spatially map microstructure and micromechanical fields in order to study twinning behavior. However, these measurements are inherently influenced by the vicinity of the free surface. Here, an elasto-visco-plastic fast-Fourier-transform (EVP-FFT) polycrystal modeling approach is employed to investigate the effects of free surfaces on twin development before and after loading. We compare calculated micromechanical fields on free surfaces with those calculated inside the bulk and in some cases, experimental surface measurements. The results indicate that the creation of free surfaces can promote twin propagation and growth and can influence twin morphology by causing a twin lamella to become larger, more blunted and skewed. The structure along the twin boundaries are also affected, due to the higher driving stresses that extend prismatic-basal and basal-prismatic facets. Furthermore, free surfaces invoke different slip activities in the twin and the surrounding parent crystal by enhancing basal, prismatic and pyramidal slip in some localized regions, while reducing slip in others. We demonstrate that the simulated free-surface effects lead to better qualitative and quantitative agreement with experimental measurements from scanning electron microscopy and digital image correlation.

Deformation twinning-induced single-variant ω-plates in metastable β-Ti alloys containing athermal ω-precipitates

The ω-phase in metastable β-titanium (Ti) alloys attracts great research interests owing to the metastability and the involved microstructural complexity upon straining, while the fundamental understanding on its formation mechanism is still insufficient. In this study, deformation-induced ω-plates have been systematically investigated using Ti-10 wt% Cr metastable β-Ti alloy containing athermal ω-precipitates. It is found that single-variant ω-plates form either along {332}β twin interfaces or in the twin interiors, which closely depends on twin morphologies. For the acicular β-twin, the ω-plate appears in the twin interiors accompanied by high density of parallel straight dislocations, while for the lenticular twin, the ω-plate attaches to the twin interface without the surrounding dense parallel straight dislocations. These unique formation characteristics result from local stress field induced by the twinning itself and the passive transformation of athermal ω-precipitates. It is further revealed that the passive transformation of athermal ω-precipitates dominates the formation of ω-plates inside the acicular twins, while it is the locally preferential twin thickening that promotes the ω-plates to form along the lenticular twin interfaces. These findings provide new insight into deformation-induced ω-phase transformation and the intricate deformation microstructures in metastable β-Ti alloys.

An Atomistic Perspective of Martensite Twinning in Iron

The martensitic transformation is one of the most important phenomena in metals science due to its essential contribution to the strength of steels and most engineering alloys. Yet the basic, atomistic mechanisms leading to martensite nucleation and twin morphology are not yet known. A detailed picture in this regard is required if the strengthening effects of martensite are to be properly understood. This work presents molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the martensitic transformation using a model fcc/bcc semi-coherent interface with Nishiyama-Wasserman orientation relationship. Significant insight into this important phenomenon is detailed in this work which shows that the atomic displacements that cause nucleation and twin morphology formation of the martensitic phase originate at the fcc/bcc interface. The interface facilitates the initial atomic shear during the transformation which in turn causes the stress-induced homogeneous nucleation and twin morphology formation. The understanding of the atomistic processes leading to the twin morphology formation will allow the control of the twinning process for further enhancement of mechanical properties.

The effects of stress, temperature and facet structure on growth of [formula omitted] twins in Mg: A molecular dynamics and phase field study

The present study focuses on the roles of structure, stress and temperature on the mobility of facets bounding twin domains and on the overall impact on the growth kinetics of {101¯2} twins in Mg. We first use molecular dynamics simulations (MD) to study the relationship between interface structures, stress, temperature and mobility. As facets can exhibit distinct atomic scale structures, we also quantify the effect of stress relaxation mediated by misfit dislocations on the mobility of the basal-prismatic interface. The information gathered for ten different facets is used to calibrate an anisotropic phase field model predicting the effects of temperature and stress on the kinetics and shape of a growing {101¯2} 3D twin, by comparison with MD data. The comparative analysis suggests that, as compared to simulations of individual facets, the effective mobility of facets can be significantly different during growth of a 3D twin. This can be attributed to the complex three-dimensional internal stress state of the twin and to coupling in facet motion triggered by facet junctions. As such, by directly fitting both the twin growth kinetics and morphology as predicted by MD for different stresses and temperatures, we can identify a limited set of rate-limiting facets that control twin growth and morphology, and measure their effective mobility.

Coupled crystal plasticity finite element-phase field model with kinetics-controlled twinning mechanism for hexagonal metals

Hexagonal metals plastically deform through evolution of dislocations and twins. Deformation twinning is unidirectional and results in twin domain associated with crystal reorientation. Growth of a twin domain is accomplished through nucleation and motion of twinning dislocations/ disconnections (TDs) at atomic scale, and described by migration of twin boundaries (TBs) at micro/macro-scales. Corresponding to kinetics-controlled migration mechanisms of twin boundaries, a coupled crystal plasticity finite element-phase field (CPFE-PF) model was developed through implementing microscale twinning model with anisotropic mobilities of twin boundaries. Crystal plasticity finite element model (CPFEM) is used to solve elastic fields and plastic deformation (carried by both dislocation slip and twinning). Phase field (PF) method is adopted to spatially distinguish twin domains from matrix and track the migration of TBs. Migration of TBs is controlled by both anisotropic mobility coefficients that are correlated to experimental measured twinning strain rate, and the twin driving force contributed by strain energy that is calculated from CPFEM, and change of interface energy including chemical energy and gradient energy that is calculated using finite volume method. It is worth mentioning that experimental measured interface energies of TBs and a critical gradient criterion are adopted in PF model to confine the width of TBs. Our CPFE-PF model exhibits the capability of predicting twin growth with experimental observed twin morphologies, and can be further developed to study twinning related microstructural evolution and mechanical behavior for hexagonal metals.

Twinning in SnO2-based ceramics doped with CoO- and Nb2O5: morphology of multiple twins revealed by electron backscatter diffraction.

Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) was used for the analysis of multiple cyclic twins in cassiterite (SnO2), which form during sintering of SnO2 with small additions of CoO and Nb2O5. Grain misorientation analysis has shown that about one third of all grains contain {101} twin boundaries (TBs). The majority of these grains are contact twins, whereas a small fraction of grains are multiple, mainly cyclic twins. A procedure was developed in MTEX [Bachmann, Hielscher & Schaeben (2010). Solid State Phenom. 160, 63-88] for automated identification of crystallographically different types of cyclic twins and found two main types: coplanar twins composed of three or four domains with a common [010] axis and alternating twins composed of three to seven domains oriented along the [111] axis. Both types of cyclic twins have a characteristic common origin (nucleus) of all TBs, which is positioned eccentric relative to the grain section and the cycle is closed with a shorter non-crystallographic contact between the first and the last twin domain. The morphology of cyclic twins suggests that they form by nucleation in the initial stages of grain growth. The average size of twinned grains increases with the number of twin domains indicating the influence of TBs formation on the growth of composite grains.

Characterization of Vimentin-Immunoreactive Astrocytes in the Human Brain.

Astrocytes are commonly identified by their expression of the intermediate filament protein glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). GFAP-immunoreactive (GFAP-IR) astrocytes exhibit regional heterogeneity in density and morphology in the mouse brain as well as morphological diversity in the human cortex. However, regional variations in astrocyte distribution and morphology remain to be assessed comprehensively. This was the overarching objective of this postmortem study, which mainly exploited the immunolabeling of vimentin (VIM), an intermediate filament protein expressed by astrocytes and endothelial cells which presents the advantage of more extensively labeling cell structures. We compared the densities of vimentin-immunoreactive (VIM-IR) and GFAP-IR astrocytes in various brain regions (prefrontal and primary visual cortex, caudate nucleus, mediodorsal thalamus) from male individuals having died suddenly in the absence of neurological or psychiatric conditions. The morphometric properties of VIM-IR in these brain regions were also assessed. We found that VIM-IR astrocytes generally express the canonical astrocytic markers Aldh1L1 and GFAP but that VIM-IR astrocytes are less abundant than GFAP-IR astrocytes in all human brain regions, particularly in the thalamus, where VIM-IR cells were nearly absent. About 20% of all VIM-IR astrocytes presented a twin cell morphology, a phenomenon rarely observed for GFAP-IR astrocytes. Furthermore VIM-IR astrocytes in the striatum were often seen to extend numerous parallel processes which seemed to give rise to large VIM-IR fiber bundles projecting over long distances. Moreover, morphometric analyses revealed that VIM-IR astrocytes were more complex than their mouse counterparts in functionally homologous brain regions, as has been previously reported for GFAP-IR astrocytes. Lastly, the density of GFAP-IR astrocytes in gray and white matter were inversely correlated with vascular density, but for VIM-IR astrocytes this was only the case in gray matter, suggesting that gliovascular interactions may especially influence the regional heterogeneity of GFAP-IR astrocytes. Taken together, these findings reveal special features displayed uniquely by human VIM-IR astrocytes and illustrate that astrocytes display important region- and marker-specific differences in the healthy human brain.

Microstructure evolution of ultra-high-strength twinning-induced plasticity (TWIP) steel under dynamic loading

To prepare ultra-high-yield strength twinning-induced plasticity (TWIP) steel and reveal its work hardening mechanism at different strain rates from the microcosmic range, the microstructure evolution mechanism of Fe–20Mn–0.6C TWIP steel was investigated at strain rates of 10−4–103 s−1 using a high-speed tensile testing machine and a transmission electron microscope. The results show that the strain rate and deformation had a significant effect on the twin morphology of TWIP steels. At a strain rate of 102 s−1, secondary deformation twins were developed, which intersected with the initial deformation twins and increased the resistance of dislocation movement, as well as the plasticity. TWIP steel at a strain rate of 102 s−1 had a higher twin formation speed than that at 100 s−1. At the same amount of deformation, the twin boundary fraction was higher and increased linearly at a strain rate of 102 s−1, while the rule of twin growth at 100 s−1 was conformed to S-curve change of DoseResp model.

Designing ultra-strong nanocrystalline Cu–Me (Me = Mg, Al) thin films: Manipulation of nanotwin patterns

How to design ultra-strong solid solution-type Cu alloys is a long-term pursuit in materials community, which is technically superior and cost-effective for their promising energy efficient applications. In this work, we prepared Cu–Me (Me = Mg, Al) alloyed thin films via non-equilibrium magnetron sputtering disposition to study light element Me alloying effects on the microstructure and mechanical properties of nanocrystalline (NC) Cu thin films. In the studied solute Me content-range spanning from 1.0 at% to 17.0 at%, Mg alloying renders a peak number fraction (~80%) of columnar(-like) grains with only containing single nanotwins, while Al alloying renders monotonically increased fraction (to ~55%) of columnar grains with containing single and/or multiple-fold twins. Compared with single nanotwins, multiple-fold twins can more significantly enhance the hardness of NC Cu–Al alloys. A combined strengthening model was employed to quantify the Me concentration-dependent hardness of NC Cu–Me thin films, which can reach at least about twice that of NC Cu matrix (~1.8 GPa). Importantly, the present NC Cu–Me alloys with nanotwinned microstructure manifest excellent specific strength compared with reported Cu alloys. These findings convey the valuable information for designing ultra-strong NC Cu-based alloys by tuning internal morphologies of nanotwins, e.g. penta-twins and parallelogram twins.

Morphology, intrafetal vascular pattern, and umbilical artery Doppler indices of acardiac twins.

Twin reversed arterial perfusion (TRAP) sequence consists of acardiac twin (A) paradoxically perfused by pump twin (P) through an umbilical artery (UA). We proposed characterization of acardiac twins with intrafetal vascular pattern (IVP), and assessed its correlation with morphology and UA Doppler indices. We prospectively evaluated 21 cases of TRAP sequence. Morphology (acardia vs hemicardia) and IVP (simple vs complex) of acardiac twins were characterized with ultrasound and color Doppler. Twins weight ratio (A/P Wt) and UA Doppler indices of acardiac and pump twins including (1) difference of systolic/diastolic ratio (UA ∆S/D), (2) difference of resistance index (UA ∆RI), and (3) ratio of pulsatility index (UA PI A/P) were calculated. The median (min, max) gestational age at diagnosis was 18 (11, 27) weeks. Acardia (n = 14) were associated with simple IVP (n = 16) (P < .05). After exclusion of acardia with complex IVP (n = 1), the A/P Wt, UA ∆S/D, UA ∆RI, and UA PI A/P of acardia with simple IVP (n = 13), hemicardia with simple IVP (n = 3), and hemicardia with complex IVP (n = 4) were not significantly different (P > .05). Most of acardiac twins were acardia with simple IVP. Morphology and IVP of acardiac twins were not associated with UA Doppler indices.

Patterns of heritability across the human diphyodont dental complex: Crown morphology of Australian twins and families.

This study generates a series of narrow-sense heritability estimates for crown morphology of the deciduous and permanent dentition with two overarching aims. The first is to test the hypothesis that deciduous teeth provide a more faithful reflection of genetic information than their permanent successors. The second is to use quantitative genetic methods to evaluate assumptions underlying common data collection and analysis practices in biodistance research. Dental morphology data were collected from longitudinal dental casts representing Australian twins and families using Arizona State Dental Anthropology System standards. Polygenic models and estimates of narrow-sense heritability were generated using SOLAR v.8.1.1. Each model considered age, sex, and age/sex interaction as covariates. Heritability estimates significantly differed from zero for the majority of morphological crown characters. Most estimates fell within the 0.4-0.8 range typically observed for crown morphology. Mean heritability was stable across the dental complex, but for paired homologues, permanent traits often yielded higher estimates than their deciduous counterparts. Results indicate directional asymmetry in environmental influence for crown morphology and inform biodistance "best practices" related to data collection and treatment. Overall, results for this sample support the use of crown morphology as a proxy for genetic variation in evolutionary research. This includes the deciduous dentition, which justifies the expansion of efforts to incorporate subadults into reconstructions of past microevolutionary processes. Results do not indicate that deciduous phenotypes more closely approximate underlying genotype, at least for deciduous/permanent homologues.

Intragranular deformation mechanisms in calcite deformed by high-pressure torsion at room temperature

Polycrystalline calcite was deformed to high strain at room-temperature and confining pressures of 1–4 GPa using high-pressure torsion. The high confining pressure suppresses brittle failure and allows for shear strains >100. The post-deformation microstructures show inter- and intragranular cataclastic deformation and a high density of mechanical e left{01overline{1}8right} twins and deformation lamellae in highly strained porphyroclasts. The morphologies of the twins resemble twin morphologies that are typically associated with substantially higher deformation temperatures. Porphyroclasts oriented unfavorably for twinning frequently exhibit two types of deformation lamellae with characteristic crystallographic orientation relationships associated with calcite twins. The misorientation of the first deformation lamella type with respect to the host corresponds to the combination of one r left{10overline{1}4right} twin operation and one specific f left{01overline{1}2right} or e left{01overline{1}8right} twin operation. Boundary sections of this lamella type often split into two separated segments, where one segment corresponds to an incoherent r left{10overline{1}4right} twin boundary and the other to an f left{01overline{1}2right} or e left{01overline{1}8right} twin boundary. The misorientation of the second type of deformation lamellae corresponds to the combination of specific r left{10overline{1}4right} and f left{01overline{1}2right} twin operations. The boundary segments of this lamella type may also split into the constituent twin boundaries. Our results show that brittle failure can effectively be suppressed during room-temperature deformation of calcite to high strains if confining pressures in the GPa range are applied. At these conditions, the combination of successive twin operations produces hitherto unknown deformation lamellae.

Oriented attachment induces fivefold twins by forming and decomposing high-energy grain boundaries.

Natural and synthetic nanoparticles composed of fivefold twinned crystal domains have distinct properties. The formation mechanism of these fivefold twinned nanoparticles is poorly understood. We used in situ high-resolution transmission electron microscopy combined with molecular dynamics simulations to demonstrate that fivefold twinning occurs through repeated oriented attachment of ~3-nanometer gold, platinum, and palladium nanoparticles. We discovered two different mechanisms for forming fivefold twinned nanoparticles that are driven by the accumulation and elimination of strain. This was accompanied by decomposition of grain boundaries and the formation of a special class of twins with a net strain of zero. These observations allowed us to develop a quantitative picture of the twinning process. The mechanisms provide guidance for controlling twin structures and morphologies across a wide range of materials.

Visualization and Observation of Morphological Peculiarities of Twin Formation in Mg-Based Samples After Electrically Assisted Forming

By using electrically assisted forming the usually rather poor workability of magnesium can be improved. The processes taking place during these forming operations have a strong influence on the microstructure. However, the metallographic preparation of magnesium is challenging due to its low hardness and strong tendency to oxidize. Therefore, a reliable preparation method was developed that revealed the microstructural features caused by the electrically assisted forming. The different morphologies of twins caused by plastic deformation and of those caused by an electric impulse could clearly be distinguished.

Macro‐and Microstructural, Textural Fabrics and Deformation Mechanism of Calcite Mylonites from Xar Moron‐Changchun Dextral Shear Zone, Northeast China

The calcite mylonites in the Xar Moron‐Changchun shear zone show a significance dextral shearing characteristics. The asymmetric (σ‐structure) calcite/quartz grains or aggregates, asymmetry of calcite c‐axes fabric diagrams and the oblique foliation of recrystallized calcite grains correspond to a top‐to‐E shearing. Mineral deformation behaviors, twin morphology, C‐axis EBSD fabrics, and quartz grain size‐frequency diagrams demonstrate that the ductile shear zone was developed under conditions of greenschist facies, with the range of deformation temperatures from 200 to 300°C. These subgrains of host grains and surrounding recrystallized grains, strong undulose extinction, and slightly curved grain boundaries are probably results of intracrystalline deformation and dynamic recrystallization implying that the deformation took place within the dislocation‐creep regime at shallow crustal levels. The calculated paleo‐strain rates are between 10−7.87 s−1 and 10−11.49 s−1 with differential stresses of 32.63–63.94 MPa lying at the higher bound of typical strain rates in shear zones at crustal levels, and may indicate a relatively rapid deformation. The S‐L‐calcite tectonites have undergone a component of uplift which led to subhorizontal lifting in an already non‐coaxial compressional deformation regime with a bulk pure shear‐dominated general shear. This E‐W large‐scale dextral strike‐slip movement is a consequence of the eastward extrusion of the Xing'an‐Mongolian Orogenic Belt, and results from far‐field forces associated with Late Triassic convergence domains after the final closure of the Paleo‐Asian Ocean.