Quasi-static compression of shock loaded, single crystal tantalum micropillars

• Published in: Materials science & engineering. A, Structural materials : properties, microstructure and processing Structural materials : properties, microstructure and processing, 2023-08, Vol.881, p.145415, Article 145415
• Main Authors: Dash, Manmath Kumar, Chiu, Yu-Lung, Jones, Ian P., Millett, J.C.F., Whiteman, G.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Micropillars; Plasticity; Shock loading; Single crystal tantalum
• ISSN: 0921-5093; 1873-4936
• DOI: 10.1016/j.msea.2023.145415

This paper presents the mechanical behaviour of single crystal Ta (6.5 GPa–22 GPa) 1-D shocked along the three principal crystallographic directions [100], [110] and [111]. Room temperature mechanical testing was carried out on micropillars to make possible precise load and displacement measurements. The findings exhibit a marked variation in the flow curve and strain hardening between the three orientations, and relative changes are noticed with shock loading. The yield strength (YS) increases linearly as a function of shock load. The YS was highest along [111] (282 MPa) compared with the [100] and [110] orientations (194 and 206 MPa). The strain hardening rates without pre-shock loading are found to be in the order [111] > [100] > [110] and this is not altered by pre-shock loading. Deformation was accomplished by slip on {112} planes. Further, assessments are considered to identify effective plastic strain accumulation during shock loading. The accumulation of effective plastic strain was found to be similar for all directions for shock loading up to 6.5 GPa, however, above 15 GPa the effective strain was lower for [110] compared to [100] and [111] directions. An attempt is made here to assess the flow curve hardening behaviour and variation in yield strength based on a different combination of pair orientation to throw some light into materials response at high-pressure shock loading.