Determination of Long-Range Internal Stresses in Cyclically Deformed Copper Single Crystals Using Convergent Beam Electron Diffraction

Understanding long range internal stresses (LRIS) may be crucial for elucidating the basis of the Bauschinger effect, plastic deformation in fatigued metals, and plastic deformation in general. Few studies have evaluated LRIS using convergent beam electron diffraction (CBED) in cyclically deformed single crystals oriented in single slip and there are no such studies carried out on cyclically deformed single crystals in multiple slip. In our earlier and recent study, we assessed the LRIS in a cyclically deformed copper single crystal in multiple slip via measuring the maximum dislocation dipole heights. Nearly equal maximum dipole heights in the high dislocation density walls and low dislocation density channels suggested a uniform stress state across the labyrinth microstructure. Here, we evaluate the LRIS by determining the lattice parameter in the channels and walls of the labyrinth dislocation structure using CBED. Findings of this work show that lattice parameters obtained were almost equal near the walls and within the channels. Thus, a homogenous stress state within the heterogeneous dislocation microstructure is again suggested. Although the changes in the lattice parameter in the channels are minimal (less than 10−4 nm), CBED chi-squared analysis suggests that the difference between the lattice parameter values of the cyclically deformed and unstrained copper are slightly higher in the proximity of the walls in comparison with the channel interior. These values are less than 6.5% of the applied stress. It can be concluded that the dominant characteristics of the Bauschinger effect may need to include the Orowan-Sleeswyk mechanism type of explanation since both the maximum dipole height measurements and the lattice parameter assessment through CBED analysis suggest a homogenous stress state. This work complements our earlier work that determined LRIS based on dipole heights by assessing LRIS through a different methodology, carried out on a cyclically deformed copper single crystal oriented for multiple slip.