Tensile testing study of dynamic interactions between dislocations and precipitate in vanadium alloys

To investigate the hardening of fine Ti(OCN) precipitate, we performed in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations during tensile testing of dislocations gliding through fine Ti(OCN) precipitates in thermally aged V–4Cr–4Ti alloys. The obstacle strength parameter was estimated from the critical bow-out angle, ϕ, of the dislocation lines from the microstructural change during tensile deformation observed in the TEM images. From image processing analysis of the dislocation motion, the value of the obstacle strength parameter of Ti(OCN) precipitates of 4-nm size was determined to be 0.30. The increase in yield stress calculated from the measured dislocation behavior pinned around precipitates was Δσin situ=43MPa, and the increase in yield stress measured by the micro-Vickers hardness test was ΔσHV=49.5MPa. Data from in situ TEM observations during tensile testing and from micro-Vickers hardness tests were in good agreement; thus, the obstacle strength parameter of the Ti(OCN) precipitates of 4-nm size was successfully obtained experimentally. The obstacle strength parameter also was compared with data from a previous study, and there was also quite good agreement. Therefore, the obstacle strength parameter obtained from this study is measurable and is a reliable measure of mechanical property changes following precipitation in V–4Cr–4Ti alloys.