Deformation mechanism and microstructures on polycrystalline aluminum induced by high-current pulsed electron beam

In this paper, we present an experimental investigation of deformation twinning in polycrystalline aluminum exposed to high-current pulsed electron beam (HCPEB) irradiation. The residual tensile stress with about 10 2 MPa was introduced in the irradiated surface layer. The feature characteristic irradiated with various numbers of pulses was investigated. The formation of a large number of twin bands on the surface irradiated with multiple pulses was determined. The experimental observations indicated that the deformation twinning was indeed triggered during HCPEB irradiation. It is suggested that high value of stress and strain rate induced by rapid heating and cooling due to HCPEB irradiation may cause the shifting of whole atomic planes simultaneously. Additionally, some slipping systems may be suppressed due to the geometric confinement by thinned size of surface layer, which can promote the initiation of deformation twinning.