Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
1498785 Scripta Materialia 2013 4 Pages PDF
Abstract

Tensile-loading molecular dynamics simulations show that nanocrystalline SiC not only becomes ductile, but can be superplastically deformed at room temperature when grain sizes are reduced to d ∼ 2 nm. The calculated strain rate sensitivity, 0.67, implies a superplastic ceramic able to attain strains of up to 1000% at room temperature and typical strain rates (∼10−2 s−1). The origin of the superplasticity is linked to an unusually steep rise in creep rate to 106 s−1 for d = 2 nm. The results explain recent observations in SiC nanowires and suggest novel opportunities for structural ceramics.

Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering Materials Science Ceramics and Composites
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