Hetero-Boundary-Affected Regions in Heterostructured Materials

Hetero-boundary-affected regions (HBARs) are widely observed in metallic materials and believed to play important roles in heterostructured materials that are currently attracting broad attention due to their superior mechanical properties which defy the conventional rule-of-mixtures. Here, we perform a series of discrete dislocation dynamics (DDD) simulations to confirm the existence of HBARs and investigate the mechanisms of their formation, growth, and evolution during plastic deformation. Our DDD simulations reveal that the HBARs are well characterized by a heterogeneous dislocation microstructure with distinct stress/strain gradients that depend on interface penetrability and applied strain. Furthermore, it is shown that the HBARs can significantly affect the mechanical responses of materials. This study aimed to provide a mechanistic basis to understand the formation mechanism of HBARs, which is critical for physics-based modeling of the mechanical behavior of heterostructured materials.

Automated summary

In this study, a series of discrete dislocation dynamics (DDD) simulations were performed to confirm the existence of hetero-boundary-affected regions (HBARs) and investigate their formation, growth, and evolution mechanisms during plastic deformation. The simulations revealed that HBARs have a heterogeneous dislocation microstructure with distinct stress/strain gradients, which depend on the penetrability of interfaces and the applied strain. Furthermore, it was shown that HBARs significantly impact the mechanical responses of materials. This study provides a mechanistic basis for understanding the formation mechanism of HBARs, which is crucial for physics-based modeling of the mechanical behavior of heterostructured materials.