Double Domes of Mesoscopic Localized Anisotropic Lattice Strain in HCP–Ag75Al25 Under Uniaxial Compression

The anisotropic strain development and releasing process in materials is largely related to their intrinsic mechanical properties and mesoscale grain interactions. Uniaxial compression can induce a large amount activation energy in a system, which builds up anisotropic elastic strain. This is especially common in a hexagonal close-packed (HCP) system. Utilizing the X-ray diffraction technique, we investigated the double-dome shaped evolution of its anomalous anisotropic strain when compressing a polycrystalline HCP-silver-aluminum (Ag₇₅Al₂₅) alloy up to 40 GPa. Analysis of the pressure-dependent grain size showed that the anisotropic strain relaxation was accompanied with grain-size refinement. This was a strong indication of microscopic structural anisotropy impacting both the mesoscopic mechanical properties and the macroscopic fracture behavior under uniaxial compression. Our findings provide valuable novel insights for further studies on materials with anisotropic mechanical properties.