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Nanometer-scale crack initiation and propagation behavior of Fe3Al-based intermetallic alloy

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Abstract

The initiation and propagation of nanometer-scale cracks have been investigated in detail byin situ transmission electron microscope (TEM) observations for the intermetallic compound Fe3Al under mode I loading. No dislocation was detected and no dislocation emission was found when cracks propagated directly from the thin edge of a double-jet hole where the thickness of the foil was below a critical thinness. Thinning took place in the thicker region of the foils because a great number of dislocations were emitted from the crack tip, and then an electron semitransparent region was formed in front of the crack tip. Following this process, a dislocation-free zone (DFZ) was formed. The maximum normal stress occurs in the zone. Nanometer-scale cracks initiated discontinuously ahead of the main crack tip in the highly stressed zone. The size of the smallest nanocrack observed was about 3 nm, and the tip radius of the nanocracks was less than 1 nm when the applied loading was low. The radius of the main crack tip was about 2.5 nm. The distances between discontinuous nanocracks and the main crack tip were about 5 to 60 nm, depending on the applied tensile loading. A relationship was found between the tensile loading and the nanocrack distance from the crack tip. The distance increases with the tensile loading, which is consistent with an “elastic-plastic” theoretical model.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Calgary, Canada

    L. J. Qiao (Postdoctoral Research Associate) & X. Mao (Associate Professor)

  2. Department of Materials Physics, University of Science and Technology-Beijing, 100083, Beijing, People's Republic of China

    C. Z. Chen (Lecturer)

Authors
  1. L. J. Qiao
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  2. X. Mao
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  3. C. Z. Chen
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Qiao, L.J., Mao, X. & Chen, C.Z. Nanometer-scale crack initiation and propagation behavior of Fe3Al-based intermetallic alloy. Metall Mater Trans A 26, 1461–1469 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02647597

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02647597

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