Sample size effects on grain boundary sliding

Grain boundary sliding is an important deformation mechanism that contributes to creep and superplastic forming. In tin-based lead-free solders grain boundary sliding can make significant contributions to in service performance. Novel micro-compression tests designed to isolate individual grain boundaries and assess their mechanical resistance to sliding were conducted on tin. The boundary sliding deformation was more obvious for smaller sample cross-sections and made a larger contribution to the overall deformation. As with dislocation and twinning mediated plasticity there was a significant size effect in which the resistance to grain boundary sliding increases as the sample size is reduced.

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