Micromechanical Analysis of Dislocation and Precipitate Interactions in Aluminum Alloys

Misfit precipitates greatly contribute to precipitation hardening in wrought aluminum alloys, where attractive and repulsive interactions are expected by stress-strain field of fine misfit precipitates. There are two types of dislocation cutting manner of {001} GP-zone and θ’ phase in Al-Cu alloys; one is dislocation burgers vector intersects (001) variant by 0 deg. (Type A), the other is dislocation Burgers vector intersects (001) variant by 60 deg. (Type B). In order to simulate the interaction of dislocation and fine misfit precipitates, internal stress fields by dislocation and precipitate are computed by Micromechanics based Green’s function method. The elastic field inside and outside a precipitate is deduced from Eshelby’s inclusion theory, where misfit strain of a (001) precipitate is assumed by unidirectional eigenstrain across the disk shaped inclusion. Dislocation motion under three different kinds of dislocation Burgers vector is tested by computing interaction force acted on the discretized dislocation line elements. The interaction force caused by (001) misfit precipitate is varied with types of dislocation cutting manner, magnitude of the interaction force associated with dislocation glide is increased by Type B variant (60 deg.), whereas that is minutely zero for Type A variant (parallel).