{"title":"On the origin of yield strength anomaly in a γ/γ′ strengthened high entropy alloy","authors":"Abhijit Chhotray , Roopchand Tandon , Sanjay Kashyap , Prafull Pandey","doi":"10.1016/j.scriptamat.2025.117152","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scriptamat.2025.117152","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Yield strength anomaly (YSA), characterized by increased strength at elevated temperatures, is crucial for the performance of superalloys in high-temperature applications. However, the observation of YSA is seldomly reported in high entropy alloys (HEAs). This work unveils the origin of YSA in a γ′-strengthened HEA, Co₃₇.₆Ni₃₅.₄Al₉.₉Cr₅.₉Mo₄.₉Ti₃.₅Ta₂.₈, containing >75% γ′ phase. The alloy exhibits a peak yield strength of 772 ± 11 MPa at 770 °C. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy (S/TEM) reveal the formation of superlattice intrinsic stacking faults (SISFs) on non-coplanar {111} planes, whose interactions result in a high density of Lomer-Cottrell (L-C) locks, thereby contributing to the strength anomaly. The deformation substructure evolution below and above the anomaly peak temperature (670 °C and 870 °C) revealed γ′ precipitates are sheared by SISF- and anti-phase boundary-coupled super-partial dislocations. The persistence of L-C locks at 870 °C leads to higher strength than 670 °C, underscoring their role in strengthening in the low stacking fault energy system at elevated temperatures.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":423,"journal":{"name":"Scripta Materialia","volume":"275 ","pages":"Article 117152"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145973926","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Scripta MaterialiaPub Date : 2026-03-15Epub Date: 2025-12-03DOI: 10.1016/j.scriptamat.2025.117121
Xiaobo Yu , Zhenyou Li , Yang Bai , Qinghua Zhang , Peng Chen , Hong Zhao , Lin Gu , Qian Zhan
{"title":"Defect-driven polarization reconfiguration in Bi3.15Nd0.85Ti3O12 film","authors":"Xiaobo Yu , Zhenyou Li , Yang Bai , Qinghua Zhang , Peng Chen , Hong Zhao , Lin Gu , Qian Zhan","doi":"10.1016/j.scriptamat.2025.117121","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scriptamat.2025.117121","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The physical origin of controlling ferroelectric properties in defect-engineered Aurivillius-phase layered materials lies in the local polarization evolution mediated by structural defects. Nevertheless, the role of widely prevalent out-of-phase boundary (OPB) defects in configuring polarization remains unclear. This study uses Bi<sub>3.15</sub>Nd<sub>0.85</sub>Ti<sub>3</sub>O<sub>12</sub> film, optimized with a HfO<sub>2</sub> buffer layer, as a model system to elucidate the intrinsic mechanism behind the enhanced local polarization within the OPB defect regions. Atomic-scale quantitative analysis reveals that OPB defects enhance the in-plane displacement of B-site cations and co-align their out-of-plane polarization directions within the perovskite layers. This reconfiguration disrupts the intrinsic antipolar ordering by eliminating the antiparallel alignment of out-of-plane dipoles between adjacent pseudo-perovskite blocks in the pristine lattice. Strain and vacancy redistribution further promote the polarization configuration transition by disrupting charge compensation. These findings provide mechanistic insights into defect-modulated ferroelectricity and suggest a new approach for designing high-performance devices through strain and defect engineering.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":423,"journal":{"name":"Scripta Materialia","volume":"274 ","pages":"Article 117121"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145684055","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Scripta MaterialiaPub Date : 2026-03-15Epub Date: 2025-12-04DOI: 10.1016/j.scriptamat.2025.117122
Nan Wang , Jide Liu , Xinli Wang , Wei Xu , Jinguo Li
{"title":"Inhibiting dislocation recovery via yttrium-induced diffusion barriers: A novel strategy for creep resistance in Ni-based single crystal superalloys","authors":"Nan Wang , Jide Liu , Xinli Wang , Wei Xu , Jinguo Li","doi":"10.1016/j.scriptamat.2025.117122","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scriptamat.2025.117122","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Trace addition of yttrium (Y) significantly enhances the high-temperature creep resistance of a second-generation nickel-based single crystal superalloy. This study reveals the underlying mechanism by elucidating the influence of Y on atomic diffusion and dislocation recovery during creep at 1100°C/90 MPa. Through coupled APT and TEM, it demonstrates that Y preferentially partitions to the γ′ phase, altering interfacial chemistry and suppressing atomic diffusivity in the γ matrix, γ′ phase and dislocation cores, respectively. This diffusion barrier decelerates the evolution of dislocation networks, while retarding their degradation. Most critically, it profoundly inhibits the climb-controlled motion of a<100> super-dislocations, which is the primary recovery mechanism. Consequently, Y doping preserves a stable dislocation network and suppresses recovery processes, resulting in an exceptionally low steady-state strain rate. These findings uncover a novel mechanism whereby trace Y enhances creep resistance by inhibiting diffusion-mediated dislocation recovery, establishing a foundation for a new alloy design strategy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":423,"journal":{"name":"Scripta Materialia","volume":"274 ","pages":"Article 117122"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145684057","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Scripta MaterialiaPub Date : 2026-03-15Epub Date: 2025-12-20DOI: 10.1016/j.scriptamat.2025.117146
Bubu Luan , Jinghui Gao , Peng Wang , Jun Cheng , Yixuan He , Meifeng He
{"title":"Subgrain boundary-driven spheroidization synergistically enhances strength and ductility in Ni-based eutectic medium-entropy alloys","authors":"Bubu Luan , Jinghui Gao , Peng Wang , Jun Cheng , Yixuan He , Meifeng He","doi":"10.1016/j.scriptamat.2025.117146","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scriptamat.2025.117146","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Eutectic high-entropy alloys (EHEAs) are extensively studied for their exceptional mechanical properties; however, the dependence of traditional EHEAs on Co restricts their industrial applications. In this study, a novel Co-free Ni<sub>55</sub>Fe<sub>28</sub>Al<sub>17</sub> (at%) EHEA was developed. High-temperature heat treatment induced defect-driven interface reconstruction, resulting in dense internal boundaries within the lamellar BCC_B2 structures. This process created curvature variations and concentrated stress, prompting localized separation and reformation that transformed the lamellae into lower-energy spherical morphologies. This spheroidization simultaneously reduced interfacial stress accumulation and controls dislocation motion, mitigating phase deformation mismatch. A 12 h treatment significantly enhanced the mechanical properties, achieving a strength of 1017.42 MPa and ductility of 21.16 %. These values approach those of the high-performance AlCoCrFeNi<sub>2.1</sub> EHEA (1061 MPa, 24.8 %) under comparable treatment, representing increases of 129.74 % in strength and 484.21 % in ductility compared to the untreated state. This strategy provides a theoretical framework for the development of high-strength and ductile alloys.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":423,"journal":{"name":"Scripta Materialia","volume":"274 ","pages":"Article 117146"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145836951","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Scripta MaterialiaPub Date : 2026-03-15Epub Date: 2025-12-26DOI: 10.1016/j.scriptamat.2025.117145
Xavier Quintana , Mackenzie Warwick , Muhammad Jahangir Khan Lodhi , Kevin Field , Julie Tucker , Fei Teng , Trishelle Copeland-Johnson
{"title":"Anisotropic growth of Ni2(Cr,Mo) ordered phase in proton irradiated Ni-Cr-Mo alloys","authors":"Xavier Quintana , Mackenzie Warwick , Muhammad Jahangir Khan Lodhi , Kevin Field , Julie Tucker , Fei Teng , Trishelle Copeland-Johnson","doi":"10.1016/j.scriptamat.2025.117145","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scriptamat.2025.117145","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ni-Cr-Mo alloys are widely used in the nuclear industry as structural materials due to their high temperature strength and corrosion resistance. Ni-based alloys containing around 33 at.% (Cr+Mo) developed a long-range ordered Ni<sub>2</sub>(Cr,Mo) phase after thermal aging and/or irradiation. The ordering mechanism for thermally-aged Ni<sub>2</sub>(Cr,Mo) phase is well-understood, characterized to be sluggish, homogeneous, and isotropic. The ordering mechanism for irradiation-induced Ni<sub>2</sub>(Cr,Mo) phase is not fully understood, characterized as having rapid formation and demonstrating anisotropic precipitation. This work elucidates the anisotropic precipitation and anisotropic precipitation mechanism of Ni<sub>2</sub>(Cr,Mo) after proton irradiation in Ni-Cr-Mo alloys. Selected area electron diffraction and bright-field scanning transmission electron microscopy imaging are used to image superlattice reflections from the ordered phase and irradiation-induced defects, respectively. A higher degree of anisotropic precipitation is observed with increasing dislocation loop and void size; a phenomenon not observed in thermally aged samples.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":423,"journal":{"name":"Scripta Materialia","volume":"274 ","pages":"Article 117145"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145837427","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Scripta MaterialiaPub Date : 2026-03-15Epub Date: 2025-12-17DOI: 10.1016/j.scriptamat.2025.117137
Abhinav Roy , Karl Sieradzki , Michael J. Waters , James M. Rondinelli , Ian McCue
{"title":"Percolation diagrams derived from first-principles investigation of chemical short-range order in binary alloys","authors":"Abhinav Roy , Karl Sieradzki , Michael J. Waters , James M. Rondinelli , Ian McCue","doi":"10.1016/j.scriptamat.2025.117137","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scriptamat.2025.117137","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Recent developments in the percolation theory of passivation have shown that chemical short-range order (SRO) affects the aqueous passivation behavior of alloys. However, there has been no systematic exploration to quantify these SRO effects on percolation in real alloys. In this study, we quantify the effects of SRO on percolation in a binary size-mismatched Cu-Rh alloy and study the related passivation behavior. We develop a mixed-space cluster expansion model trained on the mixing energy calculated using density functional theory. We use the cluster expansion model to sample the configuration space via variance-constrained semi-grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations and develop SRO diagrams over a range of compositions and temperatures. Building on this with the percolation crossover model, specifically the variation of percolation threshold with SRO in the FCC lattice, we construct the first nearest-neighbor chemical percolation diagram. This diagram can inform the design of the next generation of corrosion-resistant metallic alloys.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":423,"journal":{"name":"Scripta Materialia","volume":"274 ","pages":"Article 117137"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145787824","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Scripta MaterialiaPub Date : 2026-03-15Epub Date: 2025-12-08DOI: 10.1016/j.scriptamat.2025.117134
John Snitzer , Wei-Ying Chen , Xiaoyuan Lou
{"title":"Creep-induced microstructural evolution of additively manufactured 316H stainless steels and its effects on radiation resistance","authors":"John Snitzer , Wei-Ying Chen , Xiaoyuan Lou","doi":"10.1016/j.scriptamat.2025.117134","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scriptamat.2025.117134","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study elucidates the evolution of additively manufactured (AM) microstructure of 316H stainless steels (SSs) by direct energy deposition (DED) and laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) during high-temperature dislocation creep . Utilizing <em>in-situ</em> irradiation characterization, the effects of creep-developed microstructures at different stages on the irradiation resistance of AM 316H SS. Precipitates along the prior dislocation cell walls contributed to the resistance to dislocation creep in both materials, with DED 316H being inferior in creep resistance compared to LPBF 316H Under irradiation, dislocation loop formation was observed in both materials within the cell interior. At the doses up to 5 dpa, there was little evidence to support that the creep developed microstructures significantly impact the irradiation resistance of AM 316H SS. It was, however, determined that the processing method itself can affect irradiation resistance. At 5 dpa, the effects of processing condition and creep are no longer observed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":423,"journal":{"name":"Scripta Materialia","volume":"274 ","pages":"Article 117134"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145735015","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Scripta MaterialiaPub Date : 2026-03-15Epub Date: 2025-12-02DOI: 10.1016/j.scriptamat.2025.117117
Xiang Lu , Wenlong Wang , Pingping Zhao , Qingke Zhang , Cheng Xu , Yuanxiang Zhang , Qiangfei Hu , Lijing Yang , Zhenlun Song
{"title":"Investigation into the effect of adjacent crystallographic orientations on corrosion behavior in single-phase copper-nickel alloys by quasi-in-situ method","authors":"Xiang Lu , Wenlong Wang , Pingping Zhao , Qingke Zhang , Cheng Xu , Yuanxiang Zhang , Qiangfei Hu , Lijing Yang , Zhenlun Song","doi":"10.1016/j.scriptamat.2025.117117","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scriptamat.2025.117117","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this study, the corrosion process of Cu-30 %Ni alloys in acidic NaCl solution was investigated by a quasi-in-situ method. The grain boundaries and twinned regions were two preferentially corroded sites. The adjacent grains of the preferentially corroded grain boundaries generally formed non-Σ3 high-angle grain boundaries. Their lattice misorientation angle rather than the surface orientation determined the intergranular corrosion susceptibility. By comparison, the preferentially corroded twinned regions were governed by the surface orientation of the twin and adjacent matrix. The large surface crystal planes deviation angle resulted in high corrosion susceptibility. Based on these observations, the corrosion behavior of polycrystalline material is predicted by computational models. The results showed that the intergranular corrosion susceptibility is similar for different matrix textures, but a high intragranular corrosion susceptibility is found in the twin-containing {100} grains. Thus, dominant twin-containing {100} grains should be avoided in Cu-Ni alloys in order to obtain high corrosion resistance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":423,"journal":{"name":"Scripta Materialia","volume":"274 ","pages":"Article 117117"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145652003","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Scripta MaterialiaPub Date : 2026-03-15Epub Date: 2025-12-06DOI: 10.1016/j.scriptamat.2025.117131
Yibo Zhang , Yaojun Li , Qian Liao , Yuexia Wang , Xianfeng Ma , Fei Zhu , Yuzhou Wang
{"title":"Helium ion induced degradation of microstructure and thermal conductivity in MAX phase Ti3SiC2","authors":"Yibo Zhang , Yaojun Li , Qian Liao , Yuexia Wang , Xianfeng Ma , Fei Zhu , Yuzhou Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.scriptamat.2025.117131","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scriptamat.2025.117131","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Conventional nuclear ceramics suffer drastic thermal conductivity degradation under nuclear radiation. MAX phase materials, with their hybrid metallic-ceramic bond characteristics, represent promising fuel materials capable of mitigating irradiation-induced conductivity changes. Nonetheless, the critical property of post-irradiation thermal conductivity of MAX phase remains unexplored. In this study, we investigated the thermal conductivity of Ti<sub>3</sub>SiC<sub>2</sub> following He ion irradiation. Multimodal microstructural characterization revealed irradiation-induced lattice disturbance and a high density of He bubbles. State-of-the-art spatial-domain thermoreflectance measurement demonstrated roughly 74% reduction in thermal conductivity, less severe than conventional ceramics but exceeding typical metals. This intermediate degradation stems from the electron-dominated thermal transport in Ti<sub>3</sub>SiC<sub>2</sub>, which is particularly sensitive to small-scale defects. First-principles calculation revealed the distinct impact of irradiation defects on electron transport, with Si and He related defects exhibiting the largest influence. The material’s retained thermal performance under irradiation suggests promising potential for enhancing thermal properties in advanced nuclear fuels.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":423,"journal":{"name":"Scripta Materialia","volume":"274 ","pages":"Article 117131"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145683455","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Scripta MaterialiaPub Date : 2026-03-15Epub Date: 2025-12-11DOI: 10.1016/j.scriptamat.2025.117135
Zipeng Xu , Fadi Abdeljawad , Gregory S. Rohrer
{"title":"Can the grain boundary stiffness driving force explain observed grain boundary migration rates in polycrystals?","authors":"Zipeng Xu , Fadi Abdeljawad , Gregory S. Rohrer","doi":"10.1016/j.scriptamat.2025.117135","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scriptamat.2025.117135","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The anisotropic grain boundary stiffness driving force is compared to observed grain boundary migration rates in Ni polycrystals for five grain boundary disorientations. Although the stiffness driving force is better correlated to observed migration rates than the curvature driving force, neither correlation is strong. These findings might be the result of a limitation in the theory for grain boundary migration, which treats grain boundaries as independent microstructural entities and ignores the constraints imposed by their connections to other boundaries at triple lines.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":423,"journal":{"name":"Scripta Materialia","volume":"274 ","pages":"Article 117135"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145735013","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}