Materials under stress: Insights into alloying effects on behavior

A Los Alamos-led research team has used an array of materials characterization and simulation tools to compare how the microstructure of compressed copper differs from compressed copper alloyed with lead. This work furthers understanding of how alloying affects the behavior of materials under compression, specifically for materials with low solubility.

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Why this matters: The fundamental insights gained from this study can be valuable for tailoring structural materials for use in specific engineering applications. In particular, the experimental data gained is anticipated to enhance the predictability of computational models used to simulate the behavior of such alloy systems.

What they found:

• The team examined the microstructural evolution and plastic deformation characteristics of copper and copper alloyed with lead.
• Although both materials showed similar stress-strain responses and final deformation textures, the team's advanced materials characterization revealed that the presence of lead precipitates significantly affected local plastic deformation during initial compression. The impact of these lead particles gradually decreased as strain levels increased.

Key capabilities: To perform this study, the team relied on a variety of Los Alamos capabilities:

• Mechanical testing and deformation measurements using neutron diffraction at the SMARTS (Spectrometer for Materials Research at Temperature and Stress) and the HIPPO (High-Pressure-Preferred Orientation instrument) diffractometers at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center
• Microstructure characterization using electron backscatter diffraction and transmission electron microscopy at the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies

Funding: The Laboratory Directed Research and Development program funded this work, which supports the Lab’s nuclear deterrence mission. Research was performed in part at the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science user facility.

LA-UR 25-20454