Crystal Orientation Dependence of the Portevin–Le Chatelier Effect in Instrumented Indentation: A Case Study in Twinning-Induced Plasticity Steels

Abstract

Instrumented indentation can be effectively used to investigate the Portevin–Le Chatelier (PLC) effect at small scales. It has been shown that the PLC effect in single crystals may depend on the crystal orientation, yet the underlying mechanism is unclear. Here, the orientation dependence of the PLC effect was systematically studied by conducting instrumented indentation tests in the [001]-, [101]- and [111]-oriented grains of a polycrystalline twinning-induced plasticity steel. It is found that the crystal orientation does not affect the PLC effect at relatively high indentation strain rates. In contrast, there is a strong orientation dependence at lower rates, with enhanced difficulty in the formation of serrations in the order of the [001], [111] and [101] orientations. This finding contradicts the previous proposals of the orientation effects, which are associated with the dislocation waiting time. On the basis of both the orientation and rate effects observed here, we proposed that the crystal orientation influences the occurrence of serrations in instrumented indentation by affecting the number of activated slip systems and, therefore, the probability of finding sufficient dislocation sources to accommodate the plastic avalanche.