From Dislocation Cores to high Temperature Strain rate Effects in L12 Compounds

ABSTRACTIt is now generally accepted that in many L12 compounds the yielding behavior is controlled by the special features of the cores of screw dislocations. In this paper we first summarize results of the atomistic studies of the core structures of the <110> screw dislocations in these compounds. At this point we show that, depending on the atomic bonding, two distinct classes of L12 alloys exist. In the first, represented by alloys like Ni3Al, a glissile configuration of the core exists on {111} planes although a sessile configuration is energetically more favored. In the second class, represented by alloys like Pt3A1 and A13Ti modified by alloying into L12 structure, the cores of screw dislocations are always sessile. Using the results of the atomistic studies we present physical models explaining the temperature dependences of the yield stress in both classes of L12 alloys. At this point we also present a further development of the model for the anomalous temperature dependence of the yield stress in alloys like Ni3A1, originally put forward by Paidar et al. [15]. In this development strain rate effects are included and it is shown that the model explains not only the orientation dependences of the yield stress in the anomalous regime but also the very low strain rate sensitivity observed in this regime.