Highlight: This study explores the size dependent strenghtening of Al/Ti multilayers, and shows increasing hardness with decreasing layer thickness (h) and no softening. When h > 4.5 nm, TEM analyses show the highly textured {0002} HCP Ti and {111} Al containing high-density ITBs and 9R phase. Ti experiences partial HCP-to-FCC phase transformation when h < 4.5 nm, while FCC Ti with CTBs and SFs dominate when h ≤ 2 nm. Chemical stress, high-density growth twins and stacking faults contribute to the high strength of nanotwinned Al/Ti multilayers.
Highlight: In this study, different Si substrates are used to tailor the texture of Cu/Co multilayers, and as a result alter the defect networks present. This leads to drastically different mechanical strength and deformability of Cu/Co multilayers with identical individual layer thickness, but having three types of crystallographic orientations and layer interfaces.
Highlight: In this study, the fracture and plasticity of Cu/a-CuNb laminates were explored under both tension and compression. The incorporation of Cu can prominently promote shear delocalization in a-CuNb, which would normally have featureless brittle fracture surface
Highlight: This study explored the structural evolution and mechanical properties of Mg/Nb multilayer composites. It was shown that below 5nm layer thickness, metastable BCC Mg is present and these composites demonstrate greater strength than most Mg alloys