Enhanced plasticity by introducing amorphous phase in nanopolycrystal Cu: A molecular dynamics study

The effect of amorphous phase CuZr on the plastic deformation behavior of nanopolycrystal Cu is investigated using molecular dynamics simulation. The results show that the introduction of amorphous phase can effectively enhance the plasticity of nanopolycrystal Cu owing to the cooperation interactions between amorphous and crystalline phases. The results also indicate that reducing grain size and increasing amorphous boundary (AB) spacing are equivalent to improving the plasticity of crystalline/amorphous Cu/CuZr nanocomposites, and the deformation mechanisms of dual-phase nanostructure Cu/CuZr composites obviously depend on grain size and AB spacing. [Display omitted] •The introduction of amorphous phase can improve the plasticity of nanopolycrystal Cu.•Two different deformation mechanisms occur depending on grain size and AB spacing.•Reducing grain size and increasing AB spacing is consistent for improving the plastic effect.