Nanoscale look at why a new alloy is amazingly tough
Friday, January 8, 2016 - 11:16
in Physics & Chemistry
Several mechanisms that make a new, cold-loving material one of the toughest metallic alloys ever have been uncovered by a team of researchers. To learn its secrets, the team studied the alloy with transmission electron microscopy as it was subjected to strain. The images revealed several nanoscale mechanisms that activate in the alloy, one after another, which together resist the spread of damage. Among the mechanisms are bridges that form across cracks to inhibit their propagation. Such crack bridging is a common toughening mechanism in composites and ceramics but not often seen in unreinforced metals.