| Record |
| Author |
Bourgeois, L.; Zhang, Y.; Zhang, Z.; Chen, Y.; Medhekar, N., V |
| Title |
Transforming solid-state precipitates via excess vacancies |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
Year  |
2020 |
Publication |
Nature Communications |
Abbreviated Journal |
Nat Commun |
| Volume |
11 |
Issue |
1 |
Pages |
1248 |
| Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT) |
| Abstract |
Many phase transformations associated with solid-state precipitation look structurally simple, yet, inexplicably, take place with great difficulty. A classic case of difficult phase transformations is the nucleation of strengthening precipitates in high-strength lightweight aluminium alloys. Here, using a combination of atomic-scale imaging, simulations and classical nucleation theory calculations, we investigate the nucleation of the strengthening phase theta' onto a template structure in the aluminium-copper alloy system. We show that this transformation can be promoted in samples exhibiting at least one nanoscale dimension, with extremely high nucleation rates for the strengthening phase as well as for an unexpected phase. This template-directed solid-state nucleation pathway is enabled by the large influx of surface vacancies that results from heating a nanoscale solid. Template-directed nucleation is replicated in a bulk alloy as well as under electron irradiation, implying that this difficult transformation can be facilitated under the general condition of sustained excess vacancy concentrations. |
| Address |
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| Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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| Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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| Language |
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Wos |
000549162600025 |
Publication Date |
2020-03-06 |
| Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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| Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
2041-1723 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
| Impact Factor |
16.6 |
Times cited |
5 |
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
| Notes |
; The authors are indebted to Matthew Weyland for his expert advice on aberrationcorrected scanning transmission electron microscopy. L.B. would like to acknowledge initial discussions with B.C. Muddle and J.F. Nie many years ago regarding the possible thermodynamic role of vacancies in solid-state precipitation. The authors acknowledge funding from the Australian Research Council (LE0454166, LE110100223), the Victorian State Government and Monash University for instrumentation, and use of the facilities within the Monash Centre for Electron Microscopy. The authors thank Flame Burgmann, Dougal McCulloch and Edwin Mayes for access to and assistance at the Microscopy and Microanalysis Facility at RMIT University. L.B. and N.M. acknowledge the financial support of the Australian Research Council (DP150100558). Authors also gratefully acknowledge the computational support from MonARCH, MASSIVE and the National Computing Infrastructure and Pawsey Supercomputing Centre. ZZ and YZ are thankful to Monash University for a Monash Graduate Scholarship, a Monash International Postgraduate Research Scholarship. Z.Z. is grateful for a Monash Centre for Electron Microscopy Postgraduate Scholarship. The authors are grateful to Anita Hill for advice. ; |
Approved |
Most recent IF: 16.6; 2020 IF: 12.124 |
| Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:170797 |
Serial |
6635 |
| Permanent link to this record |
