To research the effect of grain size on the fracture toughness of bimodal nanocrystalline (BNC) materials which are composed of nanocrystalline (NC) matrix and coarse grains, we have developed a theoretical model to study the critical stress intensity factor (which characterizes toughness) of BNC materials by considering a typical case where crack lies at the interface of two neighboring NC grains and the crack tip intersect at the grain boundary of the coarse grain, the cohesive zone size is assumed to be equal to the grain sizedof the NC matrix. Blunting and propagating processes of the crack is controlled by a combined effect of dislocation and cohesive zone. Edge dislocations emit from the cohesive crack tip and make a shielding effect on the crack. It was found that the critical stress intensity factor increases with the increasing of grain sizedof the NC matrix as well as the coarse grain sizeD. Moreover, the fracture toughness is relatively more sensitive to the coarse grain size rather than that of NC matrix.

A new theoretical model is proposed to describe the mechanical properties of bimodal nanocrystalline (BNC) materials.In this paper, we have studied the effect of grain size on the constitutive behavior and fracture of BNC materials. During the plastic deformation, dislocations emission from crack tips on the constitutive behavior of BNC materials are also analyzed, it is found that the nanocracks make a positive effect on the strain hardening instead of leading catastrophic failure. Numerical calculations have been carried out according to the model, the results show that the model can describe the enhanced strength and ductility of BNC materials successfully.

Giving a bimodal grain size distribution in nanocrystalline materials can effectively achieve both high strength and high ductility. Here we propose a theoretical model to study the failure behavior of nc materials with bimodal grain size distribution. The dependence of failure properties on grain size distribution were calculated. Numerical results show the strength and ductility of bimodal nanocrystalline materials are sensitive to grain size and the volume fraction of coarse grains.

A theoretical model based on self-consistent approximation is proposed to explore the effect of grain size distribution on the local mechanical response of nanocrystalline (nc) materials. The representative volume element (RVE) is composed of grains randomly distributed with a grain size distribution following a log-normal statistical function. The grain interior and grain boundary are taken as an integral object to sustain deformation mechanisms of grain-boundary sliding, grain-boundary diffusion and grain-interior plasticity. Local plastic strains and internal stresses, developing within the RVE, have been recorded and discussed.

Nanostructured Cu-Ag alloys with bimodal grain size distribution were prepared and their tensile deformation behaviors were studied. The alloys were processed by hot isostatic pressing of blends of nanoand micrometer-sized powder particles. The microstructure of the alloys consisted of nanograins with an average grain size of 40 nm and coarse-grains with an average grain size of 30 um. The bimodal structured alloy exhibited high tensile strengths 522 MPa and a large plastic strain to failure approximately 30%. Simultaneously, Their tensile stress-strain curves displayed a long work-hardening region, and their tensile ductility increased with increasing coarse-grained volume fraction. The high strength primarily results from the contribution of nanograins, while the enhanced ductility may be attributed to the improved strain hardening capability by the presence of coarse grains.