Feng, L., Li, W., Tang, W., Chen, Z., Zhang, X., Xu, Y., Vastola, G., Dai, F.-Z., Zhang, Y.-W., & Yao, X. (2026). Shock-induced hierarchical plastic deformations in high entropy (Zr0.2Hf0.2Ti0.2Nb0.2Ta0.2)C at high strain rate. International Journal of Plasticity, 196, 104543. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104543
Abstract:
Conventional ceramics have ultra-high strength but often lack plasticity. The high-entropy carbide ceramics (HECCs) offer a new perspective to enhance the plasticity of ceramics, which may extend their applicability as components operating under extreme conditions. However, there still lacks research on the dynamic behavior of HECCs, causing a poor understanding of their plastic response to dynamic loading. In this work, the dynamic behavior of a high-entropy ceramic (Zr0.2Hf0.2Ti0.2Nb0.2Ta0.2)C (denoted as HEC) under shock compression is investigated, for the first time, by the plate impact experiments with two-stage gas gun and molecular dynamics simulations utilizing a deep learning potential based on accurate first-principles data. With increasing shock pressure, HEC undergoes a pronounced elastic-plastic transition characterized by the formation of multiple plastic deformation bands, local phase transition and amorphization, which involve the activations of
and
slip systems simultaneously. The local lattice distortions in HEC are found to influence the behavior of dislocation propagation during shock compression. Instead of following predefined paths, dislocations tend to deviate at the propagation front, resulting in the formation of vacancies. Our findings reveal the hierarchical plastic deformation mediated by multi-competing mechanisms in HEC under extreme conditions, suggesting a promising strategy for achieving HECCs that are both strong and ductile.
License type:
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)
Funding Info:
This research / project is supported by the ASTAR - Manufacturing, Trade, and Connectivity Programmatic Fund
Grant Reference no. : M22L2b0111
This research / project is supported by the National Research Foundation - AI Singapore
Grant Reference no. : AISG2-GC-2023–010
This research / project is supported by the Science and Engineering Research Council, A*STAR - Central Research Fund
Grant Reference no. : NA