AbstractThe stacking fault energy (SFE) is widely used to classify the mechanical behavior of pure metals. In alloys, however, the experimentally observed SFE is strongly influenced by localized solute effects. To further understand these effects on dislocation structure and on the observed SFE, solute segregation to an extended edge dislocation dipole, delineating two stacking faults, was studied in dilute Al:Cu, Al:Ag, and Al:Cu, Ag solid solutions. Cu and Ag were chosen to isolate solute size and modulus effects, Cu being smaller than Al, while Ag and Al are essentially the same size. Atomistic Monte Carlo results showed little change in the partial dislocation spacing in the binary systems as compared to the spacing in pure Al, even though Cu was observed to segregate to the compressive regions of the dislocation dipoles, forming widespread atmospheres, while Ag formed randomly distributed Ag-rich zones. However, in ternary Al:Cu,Ag simulations, the Ag apparently inhibited the Cu from distributing across the width of the extended dislocations, both Ag and Cu forming small clusters near or on the partial dislocations which increased the partial dislocation spacing. Results will be discussed in light of interpretations of experimental SFE determinations, emphasizing the importance of the localized solute distribution on the SFE.
