纳米晶钼蠕变行为的原子级模拟研究

Atomic-scale Simulation Study of Creep Behavior in Nanocrystalline Mo

  • 摘要: 钼(Mo)合金因具有优异的性能,被广泛用于高温环境。其中,蠕变性能是高温环境用材料的重要性能之一。本文采用分子动力学模拟方法,研究了纳米晶Mo的蠕变行为,通过模拟不同晶粒尺寸的纳米晶Mo在不同温度和应力条件下的拉伸蠕变行为,分析了晶粒尺寸、施加应力及温度对蠕变的影响。研究结果表明,温度升高、应力增加均会加速蠕变过程,同时晶粒尺寸较小时蠕变现象更明显。通过对蠕变过程中的原子位置进行可视化分析,发现位错密度和晶粒在蠕变过程中均未发生明显变化,但原子的近邻位置环境会发生变化,这是由空位沿晶界扩散引起的。在本文所采用的模拟条件下,模拟结果表明,Coble蠕变是引起纳米晶Mo变形的主要机制。本文为理解纳米晶Mo在温度条件为800~1 400 K下的蠕变机制提供了依据,对于纳米晶Mo在核工业设计中的潜在应用至关重要。

     

    Abstract: Molybdenum (Mo) alloys are widely employed in high-temperature environments, such as advanced nuclear systems, due to their excellent properties, including high melting point and thermal conductivity. However, Mo alloys suffer from poor ductility at room and intermediate temperatures, which can be improved by adding rhenium (Re) or dispersing second-phase particles. These particles refine the grain size by promoting nucleation and inhibiting grain growth, improving strength while reducing the concentration of harmful solutes. Nevertheless, creep behavior is a critical performance aspect for Mo-Re alloys during service, as it can limit their high-temperature applications. Creep refers to the time-dependent plastic deformation that occurs at high-temperatures under stress levels below the yield strength of a material. In polycrystalline Mo alloys, grain boundary sliding exacerbates creep at elevated temperatures, restricting their use. Previous studies on Mo creep behavior have indicated that subgrain formation and grain growth occur during high-temperature service, and nanocrystalline materials exhibit distinct creep mechanisms compared to polycrystalline counterparts. Recent findings suggest that nanocrystalline materials can experience significant creep even at lower temperatures, indicating the importance of investigating the effects of high grain boundary density on the creep behavior of Mo alloys. Given that experimental creep tests require long durations, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation offers an efficient alternative for studying atomic-scale processes at grain boundaries. In this study, MD simulation was employed to investigate the tensile creep behavior of nanocrystalline Mo with varying grain sizes under different temperature and stress conditions. The Voronoi method was used to generate nanocrystalline Mo structures with random grain orientations, and tensile creep simulations were conducted using the LAMMPS software. The results reveal that increasing temperature and applied stress accelerates the creep process, with smaller grain sizes exhibiting more pronounced creep behavior. Atomic-level visualization shows that dislocation density and grain structures remain largely unchanged, while local atomic environments change due to vacancy diffusion along grain boundaries. These changes are responsible for the observed deformation mechanisms, particularly Coble creep, which dominates under the simulated conditions. This study provides valuable insights into the mechanisms of creep in nanocrystalline Mo at 800-1 400 K, which is critical for its potential application in nuclear industry designs. The findings highlight the importance of understanding grain boundary diffusion and its role in controlling the overall creep behavior in nanocrystalline materials.

     

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