Deformation induced phase transition in brass under shock compression

Dual-phase brass, owing to its designability in terms of performance, is of great importance among multiphase alloys and has been widely applied for thousands of years. Its deformation behavior is critical for various applications. However, most investigations are conducted under quasi-static conditions, and the deformation behaviors under high-strain rate conditions, which are common in impact and detonation, are rarely considered. Here, the deformation behavior and structure evolution of brass under high-strain rate compression were investigated (>106 s−1). The α→β phase transition caused by the accumulation of stacking faults as the dominant deformation was revealed, which is different from the mechanism of deformation-twin growth with low-strain rates in previous studies. Furthermore, deformation under high-strain rate compression produce more low-angle grain boundaries, which is in contrast to the reported high-angle grain boundaries that are easier to form at low-strain rates. High-strain rate compression can lead to the α→β phase transition, inducing brass hardening. These results are helpful for understanding the reinforcement and failure mechanisms of dual-phase alloys.