DIFFUSION NUCLEATION OF CAVITIES IN GRAIN JUNCTIONS OF SUBMICROCRYSTALLINE MATERIALS

The conditions of diffusional cavity nucleation in submicrocrystalline materials processed by the methods of intensive plastic deformation (equal-channel angular pressing, multiaxial forging, high pressure torsion, etc.) are analyzed. To date, the question of the mechanism of nucleation of cavities in such materials remains debatable due to the fact that the processing of materials by the methods of intensive plastic deformation is carried out at high hydrostatic pressures that prevent the appearance of pores. The possibility of diffusive nucleation of nanopores in the region of triple junctions of grains containing negative strain-induced wedge disclinations, generating high tensile stresses in the vicinity of triple junctions, comparable in magnitude to external hydrostatic pressure, is shown. Such junction disclinations inevitably occur at the grain junctions due to the heterogeneity of the plastic deformation through the ensemble of polycrystal grains. It is shown that an important condition for the nucleation of cavities is not only the presence of high internal tensile stresses from junction disclinations, but also an extremely high concentration of nonequilibrium strain-induced vacancies characteristic of submicrocrystalline metals, comparable in values to the vacancy concentration, at temperatures close to solidus. The influence of the strength of junction disclinations, the value of external hydrostatic pressure and the degree of supersaturation of the material by nonequilibriumstrain-induced vacancies on the rate of diffusional nucleation and the volume of critical pore nuclei is analyzed. It is established that in order to effectively suppress the process of pore formation in the grain boundary triple junctions, it is necessary to apply an external hydrostatic pressure that compensates for internal elastic fields from junction disclinations.