Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 February 2011
The effects of surface films and second phase interfaces on the room temperature ductility of <001> oriented β (B2) NiAl-based alloys were investigated. Significant reduction in flow stress and enhancement in plasticity, as compared to the monolithic β phase, were seen in both film-coated and ductile γ (fcc)/γ' (Ll2) second-phase-containing alloys. The constrained deformation at the film/substrate and interphase interfaces was effective in nucleating mobile a<100> dislocations in the β phase even though the loading axis was approximately parallel to <001>. For the case of film-coated NiAl single crystals deformed in compression, a micro-kinking model is proposed to explain the propagation of a<001> dislocations generated at the film/substrate interface. For multiphase β/γ+γ' alloys where 10–12% tensile ductility was observed, the role of crystallographic orientation relationships in promoting slip transfer is highlighted. In these multiphase alloys, the intrinsic tensile ductility of β phase by {011}<100> slip when deformed approximately along the <001>β orientation is explained using lattice rotation concepts.