Journal Article

IMPULSE-2026-00098

http://join2-wiki.gsi.de/foswiki/pub/Main/Artwork/join2_logo100x88.png Enhanced strength-ductility synergy by integrating metastable and heterostructured design in FeNiCrV alloy

Guan, X. ; Guo, Y.-X. ; Wang, L.-D. ; Jia, N. ; Jiang, S. ; Gan, W.MLZ* ; Yan, H.-L. (Corresponding author) ; Zuo, L.

2026
Pergamon Press Frankfurt, M. [u.a.]

Please use a persistent id in citations: doi:10.1016/j.ijplas.2026.104654

Abstract: Enhancing the strength of metallic materials usually compromises their ductility since both properties are intrinsically decided by chemical bond strength but with opposite dependencies. Despite great effort via microstructural regulation, tackling the strength-ductility paradox in metals and alloys remains a challenge. To achieve superior strength-ductility combination, here we report an integrated metastable and heterostructured alloy design strategy. Guided by ab-initio thermodynamics and dynamics calculations, a novel metastable Fe68Ni12Cr10V10 (at. %) dual-phase eutectic multicomponent alloy in which the martensitic transformation may occur under deformation was fabricated. By applying routine thermomechanical processing, a multi-heterostructured material characterized by alternating fcc and bcc lamellae, fully recrystallized fcc grains and unrecrystallized bcc grains, as well as a bimodal distribution of fcc grains, was obtained. Yield strength of the material is comparable to that of the high-strength bcc reference alloy, while its ductility also surpasses the ductile fcc reference alloy. By in-situ high-energy X-ray diffraction measurements, the superior strength-ductility synergy was found to originate from the coupled effects of hetero-deformation induced strengthening and transformation-induced plasticity. Specifically, the high strength is primarily ascribed to the strengthening imparted by alternating soft fcc and hard bcc lamellar structures. The exceptional ductility stems from multi-stage α'-martensite transformation over a broad strain range, which is unique to the multi-heterostructure. The synergistic effects of the heterostructure and the athermal transformation offer a practical route to endow advanced materials with superior mechanical properties.

Keyword(s): Engineering, Industrial Materials and Processing (1st) ; Materials Science (2nd)

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Contributing Institute(s):

1. STRESSI (STRESSI)
2. MATSCI (MATSCI)

Experiment(s):

1. No specific instrument

Appears in the scientific report 2026

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Database coverage:
; Clarivate Analytics Master Journal List ; Current Contents - Engineering, Computing and Technology ; Ebsco Academic Search ; Essential Science Indicators ; IF >= 5 ; JCR ; SCOPUS ; Science Citation Index Expanded ; Web of Science Core Collection

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