Engineering ordered two-dimensional defect phases to strengthen structural alloys

Defects in crystals are usually considered to be consequences of deformation, but they can also be engineered as strengthening features. Planar defects can strengthen structural alloys but usually form only during deformation or service, limiting control over their density, stability, and chemistry. We show that predeformation followed by aging can convert such defects into a designed architecture of ordered defect phases. In a single-crystal cobalt-nickel-based superalloy and a polycrystalline cobalt-chromium-tungsten alloy, this treatment creates dense networks of coherent, atomically thin, ordered defect-confined phases. These increase room-temperature strength by more than 200 megapascals and reduce the superalloy's minimum creep rate by more than threefold. Electron microscopy and simulations show that local chemical ordering amplifies strengthening and that the ordered defect phases remain shearable while impeding slip transmission.

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Publication Details

Journal
Science
Published
2026-10-15
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aeh1409
Primary Topic
High Entropy Alloys Studies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Engineering ordered two-dimensional defect phases to strengthen structural alloys

Mathias Göken, Yunzhi Wang, Longsheng Feng, Jan Vollhüter et al.
Science
High Entropy Alloys Studies
article

Engineering ordered two-dimensional defect phases to strengthen structural alloys

Mathias Göken, Yunzhi Wang, Longsheng Feng, Jan Vollhüter, Lukas Amon, Steffen Neumeier, Erdmann Spiecker, M. Köbrich, Nicolas Karpstein, Andreas Bezold, M MIlls
article en

Abstract

Defects in crystals are usually considered to be consequences of deformation, but they can also be engineered as strengthening features. Planar defects can strengthen structural alloys but usually form only during deformation or service, limiting control over their density, stability, and chemistry. We show that predeformation followed by aging can convert such defects into a designed architecture of ordered defect phases. In a single-crystal cobalt-nickel-based superalloy and a polycrystalline cobalt-chromium-tungsten alloy, this treatment creates dense networks of coherent, atomically thin, ordered defect-confined phases. These increase room-temperature strength by more than 200 megapascals and reduce the superalloy's minimum creep rate by more than threefold. Electron microscopy and simulations show that local chemical ordering amplifies strengthening and that the ordered defect phases remain shearable while impeding slip transmission.

ScienceVol. 394(6821)
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (US), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (DE), Wayne State University (US), The Ohio State University (US)
National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
Openalex Percentile: Top 66%
High Entropy Alloys Studies
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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