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A solid with larger sound speeds exhibits higher lattice thermal conductivity (k_{lat}). Diamond is a prominent instance where its mean sound speed is 14400 m s-1 and k_{lat} is 2300 W m-1 K-1. Here, we report an extreme exception that CuP2 has quite large mean sound speeds of 4155 m s-1, comparable to GaAs, but the single crystals show a very low lattice thermal conductivity of about 4 W m-1 K-1 at room temperature, one order of magnitude smaller than GaAs. To understand such a puzzling thermal transport behavior, we have thoroughly investigated the atomic structure and lattice dynamics by combining neutron scattering techniques with first-principles simulations. Cu atoms form dimers sandwiched in between the layered P atomic networks and the dimers vibrate as a rattling mode with frequency around 11 meV. This mode is manifested to be remarkably anharmonic and strongly scatters acoustic phonons to achieve the low k_{lat}. Such a dimer rattling behavior in layered structures might offer an unprecedented strategy for suppressing thermal conduction without involving atomic disorder., four figures and one table in the main text

The strengthening mechanisms and the strength degradation behaviors of the high-strength Al–Fe wire were investigated in this study. The dispersed nano-scale precipitates, the texture and the fine grains in the radial section of the Al–Fe wire are the three main strengthening factors, i.e., precipitation strengthening, texture strengthening and grain-boundary strengthening. Besides, during the annealing process, the strength degradation behaviors of the Al–Fe wires due to the coarsening of precipitates and grains as well as the texture evolution were quantitatively calculated. Finally, the strength degradation mechanisms were divided into three stages by the annealing temperatures. In stage I (0–90 °C), the slight decrease of strength is attributed to the recovery of defects including vacancies and dislocations. In stage II (90–200 °C), the loss of strength is mainly caused by the coarsening of precipitates leading to a decrease of precipitation strengthening. In stage III (200–300 °C), the grain growth is responsible for the strength degradation of the Al–Fe wire. Besides, the thermo-stability of grain increases to 150 °C in the Al–Fe wire due to the precipitates formed at the grain boundaries.

Tensile tests and microstructure observations were conducted for two types of twinning-induced plasticity steels, Fe-22Mn-0.6C and Fe-30Mn-3Si-3Al (wt pct), from 293 K to 443 K. With increasing temperature, Fe-22Mn-0.6C steel exhibited enhanced mechanical properties and stable twinning capability, but Fe-30Mn-3Si-3Al steel displayed a decline on its mechanical properties and twinning capability. Mechanisms for the different mechanical responses were analyzed by assessing the dynamic strain aging effect.

We find the existing empirical relations based on monotonic tensile properties and/or hardness cannot satisfactorily predict the low-cycle fatigue (LCF) performance of materials, especially for twinning-induced plasticity (TWIP) steels. Given this, we first identified the different deformation mechanisms under monotonic and cyclic deformation after a comprehensive study of stress–strain behaviors and microstructure evolutions for Fe-Mn-C alloys during tension and LCF, respectively. It is found that the good tensile properties of TWIP steel mainly originate from the large activation of multiple twinning systems, which may be attributed to the grain rotation during tensile deformation; while its LCF performance depends more on the dislocation slip mode, in addition to its strength and plasticity. Based on this, we further investigate the essential relations between microscopic damage mechanism (dislocation–dislocation interaction) and cyclic stress response, and propose a hysteresis loop model based on dislocation annihilation theory, trying to quickly assess the LCF resistance of Fe-Mn-C steels as well as other engineering materials. It is suggested that the hysteresis loop and its evolution can provide significant information on cyclic deformation behavior, e.g., (point) defect multiplication and vacancy aggregation, which may help estimate the LCF properties.

Tensile tests were carried out to investigate the differences in fracture mechanisms between Fe-22Mn-0.6C and Fe-30Mn-3Si-3Al (wt pct) twinning-induced plasticity steels. Although both steels possess a strong twinning capability during tensile deformation, they display different tensile fracture modes of shear and necking. The Portevin–le Chatelier band is proposed as the key factor influencing the different fracture mechanisms.

The tensile properties, high-cycle fatigue properties, and microstructure evolutions during fatigue process of as-received and pre-strained Fe-30Mn-0.9C twinning-induced plasticity (TWIP) steel were investigated. It is found that the fatigue lives of the TWIP steel can be effectively improved through pre-straining, since the deformation twins induced by pre-straining could effectively lead to the improved yield strength and the homogenized deformation. This study may provide possible ways for improving the high-cycle fatigue properties of TWIP steels.

The influence of trace rare earth (RE) Ce addition on the microstructure, melting point and wettability of pure Sn as well as on the soldering reactions in Sn-xCe/Cu(Ni) solder joints was investigated. In bulk Sn-xCe solders, large β-Sn grains were observed with the Ce addition less than 0.2 wt%; while the β-Sn grain size decreased markedly when the Ce addition was 0.2 wt%, resulting in a refined microstructure. The addition of trace RE Ce had little effect on the melting temperature of the solders. Smaller wetting angles of Sn-xCe solders on both Cu and Ni substrates were measured when the samples were reflowed at a higher temperature. The Sn-0.2Ce solder owned the best wettability on Cu substrate. Scallop-like Cu6Sn5 intermetallic compound (IMC) grains formed at the Sn-xCe/Cu interfaces, while a continuous Ni3Sn4 IMC layer formed at each Sn-xCe/Ni interface. With the increase of Ce addition, the interfacial IMC grain size and the interfacial IMC layer thickness on both Cu and Ni substrates decreased gradually. The activity of Sn was lowered with the Ce addition, which depressed the growth of the interfacial IMC. In the current study, the Ce addition of 0.2 wt% exhibits the optimized performance.

The diffusion behavior of Zn atoms and Cu–Ni cross-solder interaction in Cu/Sn–9Zn/Ni interconnects during liquid–solid electromigration were investigated under a current density of 5.0 × 103 A/cm2 at 230 °C. Under the combined effect of chemical potential gradient and electron wind, Zn atoms with positive effective charge number would directionally diffuse toward the Cu interface under both flowing directions of electrons. When electrons flowed from Cu substrate to Ni substrate, EM significantly enhanced the diffusion of Cu atoms to the opposite Ni interface, resulting in the formation of interfacial Cu5Zn8; while no Ni atoms diffused to the opposite Cu interface. When electrons flowed from Ni substrate to Cu substrate, only a small amount of Cu atoms diffused to the opposite Ni interface, resulting in the formation of a thin interfacial (NiCu)3(SnZn)4 (containing 3 wt% Cu); EM significantly accelerated the diffusion of Ni atoms to the Cu interface, resulting in the formation of a large amount of (NiCu)3(SnZn)4 at the Cu interface. Even under downwind diffusion, no apparent consumption of Cu substrate was observed due to the formation of a thick and dense Cu5Zn8 layer at the Cu interface. It is more damaging with electrons flowing from Ni to Cu than that from Cu to Ni.

AZ31B Mg alloy and 6061 Al alloy are joined using low-temperature soldering with Sn–30Zn–xCe solder alloy. The effect of Ce content in Sn–30Zn–xCe solders on microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of the different brazed joints are investigated. The experimental results show that adding appropriate amount of Ce into Sn–30Zn solder is conducive to decreasing the amount of Mg2Sn intermetallic compounds and increasing the amount of Al–Sn–Zn solid solutions in the soldering zone of the brazed joint, which restricts the drawback of the formation of hard and brittle Mg2Sn intermetallic compounds and enhances the mechanical property of soldered joint. The average shear strength of the Mg/Sn–30Zn–0.05Ce/Al-brazed joint can reach 77.48 MPa. Results also indicate that the excessive content of Ce leads to the formation of some Ce–Zn and Ce–Sn intermetallic compounds in soldering zone and subsequently decreases the strength of soldered joint.

Magnesium-based alloys are finding extensive applications foreground in aerospace and automotive applications. Weldability of magnesium alloys has recently been investigated with a variety of processes. In this article, the activating flux TIG (ATIG) welding of magnesium alloys with three single-component fluxes (TiO2, Cr2O3 and SiO2) under alternating current (AC) mode was studied. The effects of welding speed, weld current and electrode gap on the weld shape and the weld arc voltage in AC TIG welding with oxide fluxes were investigated on an AZ31B magnesium alloy substrate. The mechanisms of oxide fluxes on the arc shape and the arc voltage on the weld shape are discussed. The result showed that the TiO2 and Cr2O3 increase the weld penetration of AC TIG welding of magnesium with good bead cosmetics. The SiO2 increased the weld penetration with very poor formation of the weld surface. However, the arc voltage decreased with the used of TiO2 flux, and increased with the used of Cr2O3 flux. The mechanism of TiO2 and Cr2O3 fluxes increasing penetration should not accord with the “arc constriction”. It would comply with some potential effects of the flux interacting with the liquid metal of fusion zone.

High-angle grain boundaries are always the preferential fatigue cracking sites, while the intrinsic fatigue cracking mechanism of coherent twin boundary remains elusive. Here we systematically investigate the fatigue cracking behaviours of copper bicrystals with a coherent twin boundary as their sole internal boundary. It is found with direct experimental evidence for the first time that, unlike the random grain boundaries, the cracking behaviour of the twin boundary strongly depends on its orientation with respect to the loading direction. When the twin boundary is parallel or perpendicular to the loading direction, the fatigue cracks nucleate along the slip bands preferentially; when it is inclined at an angle to the loading direction, the fatigue crack is especially apt to nucleate along the twin boundary first. The controllable fatigue cracking mechanisms of the twin boundary may provide new and important implications for the optimized interfacial design of the high-performance materials.

Incoherent twin boundaries (ITBs) are widespread and play a crucial role in unidirectional deformation behavior of materials, however, the intrinsic role of individual ITB under cyclic loading remains elusive. Here we show the fatigue cracking behavior of Cu bicrystal with an ITB as its sole interface for the first time. The slip bands (SBs) could transfer through the ITB; meanwhile, the ITB could migrate with the motion of partial dislocations. Both the penetrability and mobility contribute to the higher fatigue cracking resistance of the ITB and hence the fatigue crack nucleates along the SBs preferentially. These new findings not only shed light on the fatigue cracking mechanisms of a penetrable boundary with direct evidence but also could provide important implications for future interfacial optimization of metallic materials.