Roles of grain boundary and dislocations at different deformation stages of nanocrystalline copper under tension

YG Zheng and HW Zhang and Z Chen and C Lu and YW Mai, PHYSICS LETTERS A, 373, 570-574 (2009).

DOI: 10.1016/j.physleta.2008.12.019

The plastic deformation of nanocrystalline copper subjected to tension has been studied using molecular dynamics simulation. The results show that, in the initial stage, the deformation is mainly boundary-mediated in small grains; while in the late stage, the deformation is accommodated by dislocations in large grains. It is also found that the stress-assisted grain growth occurs owing to atomic diffusion and grain boundary migration. These results are consistent with recent experimental observations. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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