High strain rate induced localized amorphization in cubic BN/NiCrAl nanocomposite through high velocity impact

Localized amorphous layer induced by a high-velocity impact in a cubic BN particle-reinforced face-centered cubic Ni (Cr, Al) nanocomposite was observed by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The Ni-based amorphous layer, which had a thickness ranging from ∼3 to ∼8 nm, was located at the cBNp/NiCrAl interface and was surrounded by the crystalline Ni-based alloy. These Ni-based alloy crystals exhibited a preferred orientation with the {1 1 1} planes frequently parallel to the interfaces of cBN/NiCrAl.