Cooperative deformation behavior between the shear band and boundary sliding of an Al-based nanostructure-dendrite composite

Investigation of the microstructural features and mechanical properties of the Al86Cu7Si7 nanostructure-dendrite composite revealed that the high yield strength of 615 MPa and its reasonable plasticity of ~ 20% at room temperature mainly originate from the evolution of dislocations in the micron-scale dendrites together with the cooperative deformation action of shear band and interfacial sliding throughout the whole volume of the material. Especially, shear band-induced rotation of dendrites was found to be an important deformation mechanism. Here, we sequentially elucidate the deformation behavior using atomic force microscopy, nanoindentation, and scanning electron microscopy to determine the surface topography of the deformed alloy.