arXiv subjects

Ken Mingard

Publications and source records attributed to Ken Mingard.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Towards standardisation of average grain size measurement of additively manufactured microstructures using EBSD

Additively manufactured (AM) alloys have heterogeneous microstructures with broad grain size distributions and highly anisotropic and/or non-convex grain shapes. AM components can have complex geometries and porosity which may affect the local microstructure. Currently there is no electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD)-based grain size measurement standard suitable for typical AM materials. An interlaboratory comparison study was conducted to find out what grain size metrics and summary statistics are currently used to describe average grain size. Participants were asked to measure and report the average grain size from the same EBSD map dataset. Detailed reports have been published in Reference [1]. Based on these results, we have tested and propose recommendations for a new standard for measuring average grain size in AM materials. The present work demonstrates the suitability and limitations of the proposal across several different Ni and Al AM components.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2022

Deformation mechanism of WC single crystals under nanoindentation: Effects of surface defects and orientation on pop-in and hysteresis

Nanoindentation was carried out on pure tungsten carbide (WC) on the basal (0001) and prismatic (1010) planes, using Berkovich and spherical indenters, in both single load and multi-load testing. The work focuses on correlating the load-displacement curves, including elastic to plastic deformation, size effect and hysteresis with the deformation behaviour of WC. With different specimen preparation processes, the elastic to plastic deformation started at different threshold loads: This observation was found to be due to the variation in surface dislocation density. Staircase deformation was observed thought to be caused by dislocation motion and the formation of slip bands; sudden displacement discontinuities in the load-displacement response - associated with dislocation loop nucleation - occurred at, or near the theoretical shear strength. Furthermore, discontinuities in load-displacement curves were also used to confirm that hysteresis loops were a result of plastic deformation, as they when the loading was purely elastic.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2021

Micropillar compression of single crystal tungsten carbide, Part 2: Lattice rotation axis to identify deformation slip mechanisms

The plastic deformation mechanisms of tungsten carbide at room and elevated temperatures influence the wear and fracture properties of WC-Co hardmetal composite materials. The relationship between residual defect structures, including glissile and sessile dislocations and stacking faults, and the slip deformation activity, which produce slip traces, is not clear. Part 1 of this study showed that {10-10} was the primary slip plane at all measured temperatures and orientations, but secondary slip on the basal plane was activated at 600 °C, which suggests that dislocations can cross-slip onto the basal plane at 600 °C. In the present work, Part 2, lattice rotation axis analysis of deformed WC micropillar mid-sections was used to discriminate prismatic slip from multiple prismatic slip in WC, which enabled the dislocation types contributing to plastic slip to be distinguished, independently of TEM residual defect analysis. Prismatic-oriented micropillars deformed primarily by multiple prismatic slip at room temperature, but by prismatic slip at 600 °C. Deformation in the near-basal oriented pillar at 600 °C can be modelled as prismatic slip along constrained by the indenter face and pillar base. Secondary basal slip, which was observed near the top of the pillar, was activated to maintain deformation compatibility with the indenter face. The lattice rotations, buckled pillar shape, mechanical data, and slip traces observed in the pillar are all consistent with this model.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2021

Micropillar compression of single crystal tungsten carbide, Part 1: temperature and orientation dependence of deformation behaviour

Tungsten carbide cobalt hardmetals are commonly used as cutting tools subject to high operation temperature and pressures, where the mechanical performance of the tungsten carbide phase affects the wear and lifetime of the material. In this study, the mechanical behaviour of the isolated tungsten carbide (WC) phase was investigated using single crystal micropillar compression. Micropillars in two crystal orientations, 1-5 $μ$m in diameter, were fabricated using focused ion beam (FIB) machining and subsequently compressed between room temperature and 600 °C. The activated plastic deformation mechanisms were strongly anisotropic and weakly temperature dependent. The flow stresses of basal-oriented pillars were about three times higher than the prismatic pillars, and pillars of both orientations soften slightly with increasing temperature. The basal pillars tended to deform by either unstable cracking or unstable yield, whereas the prismatic pillars deformed by slip-mediated cracking. However, the active deformation mechanisms were also sensitive to pillar size and shape. Slip trace analysis of the deformed pillars showed that {10-10} prismatic planes were the dominant slip plane in WC. Basal slip was also activated as a secondary slip system at high temperatures.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗