Strength and plasticity of Cr/Cr X N multilayers with gradient nanoarchitectures
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Refining grain size and enhancing thermally assisted grain boundary activation are fundamental strategies for improving the plasticity of high-strength ceramic materials. In this study, Cr/CrXN gradient multilayers with finer ceramic grains were synthesized by modulating the nitrogen flow rate in reactive sputtering with continuous gradients. Compared to conventional Cr/CrN multilayer that exhibit shear instability, the Cr/CrXN gradient multilayer achieved a yield strength/flow strength of 6.7 GPa/6.9 GPa with the yield strength increased by 21.8% and a large plastic strain of 5.8% with improved by 50% at 200°C, and exhibit a superb strain hardening capability over 10% uniform strain at 400°C. Microscopy characterizations revealed that high grain boundary volume is critical for the enhanced plasticity of Cr/CrXN gradient multilayer because of grain boundary sliding and grain rotation, while the geometric constraints of neighboring grains contribute to continuous hardening during deformation.
Source: Materials Research Letters
Authors: Heda Bai, Jin Li, Lichen Bai, Miao Song, Shijian Zheng, Hualong Ge, Junjie He, Jinyang Ni, Xuesong Leng, Yifan Huang, Xiangli Liu
Language: English
Subfield: Mechanics of Materials
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,459
Funders: National Natural Science Foundation of China, Science, Technology and Innovation Commission of Shenzhen Municipality, Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Program, Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation of Guangdong Province
OpenAlex ID: W4408350538