The deformation mechanism in the nanometer grain size range has been basically
investigated from the results of microstructural observation after superplastic deformation in a
Zn-Al eutectoid alloy in which a reverse grain size dependence of superplasticity was previously
reported: flow stress increases and elongation decreases with decreasing grain size when grain size
is markedly reduced to nanometer range. By controlling the aging condition after solution treatment
and subsequent quenching, two specimens are prepared: the as-quenched specimen with ultrafine
grains of 83nm in diameter and aged specimen with normally fine grains of 2.6μm. The elongation
is confirmed to be smaller in the as-quenched specimen than in the aged specimen, although the
flow stress is lower. As a result of TEM observation on the interior of the grains, dislocations are
rare in the as-quenched specimen, while a significant density of dislocations are observed in the
aged specimen. This result strongly supports the mechanism previously proposed by Mishra et al.
that the accommodation process, i.e., the dislocation glide inside the grains, becomes more difficult
with decreasing grain size in the nanometer grain size range, even though the grain boundary sliding
as the major process becomes facilitated. Roughly assessed m-value was in accord with this
mechanism.
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