Plasticity of an extra-strong nanocrystalline stainless steel controlled by the “dislocation-segregation” interaction

• Published in: Materials letters Vol. 301; p. 130235
• Main Authors: Enikeev, N.A., Lomakin, I.V., Abramova, M.M., Mavlyutov, A.M., Lukyanchuk, A.A., Shutov, A.S., Sauvage, X.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 15-10-2021; Elsevier BV; Elsevier
• Subjects: Alloying elements; Condensed Matter; Deformation mechanisms; Dislocation mobility; Grain boundary; Materials Science; Nanocrystals; Nanostructured materials; Physics; Plastic properties; Plasticity; Segregation; Segregations; Stainless steels; Segregation; Deformation mechanisms; Nanostructured materials; Stainless steels; Plasticity; Grain boundary; plasticity; segregation; deformation mechanisms; stainless steels; grain boundary
• ISSN: 0167-577X; 1873-4979
• DOI: 10.1016/j.matlet.2021.130235

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•Three nanocrystalline (NC) 316 steels with similar grain size have been produced.•These NC states have different parameters of GBs and dislocation structure.•Interplay of GB segregations with dislocations governs plasticity in NC steels.•Significant increase in plasticity of the extra-strong NC 316 steel is achieved.
We study three structurally different states of nanocrystalline 316 steel and show that the state, where boundaries containing excess concentration of alloying elements are combined with mobile dislocations in grain interiors, allows maintaining extraordinarily high strength and remarkably enhanced plasticity. Underlying mechanisms featuring interaction between the segregations and mobile dislocations are discussed.