Temperature dependent dislocation bypass mechanism for coherent precipitates in Cu–Co alloys

Abstract Molecular dynamics simulations of dislocation interaction with coherent cobalt precipitates embedded in Cu–Co alloys reveal a temperature dependent bypass mechanism. Below 300 K, the trailing partial dislocation clearly bypasses the coherent, face centered cubic (FCC) cobalt precipitate by Orowan looping, caused by a reversible structural transformation as the leading partial locally converts the precipitate to the lower-energy hexagonal close packed (HCP) structure. The FCC versus HCP energy difference of cobalt is temperature dependent, and the dislocation bypass mechanism becomes pure shear above 300 K. Based on a combination of inertial effects due to phonon drag and this observed bypass mechanism, we develop a temperature dependent critical resolved shear stress (CRSS) model, which is in excellent agreement with long-standing measurements of the CRSS temperature dependence of Cu–Co alloys, and those obtained from MD simulation. The model explains both the CRSS increase at low temperatures and the existence of a peak value around 200 K.