Interesting observations on deformation behavior at nanoscale

It has been well established that the deformation behaviour of nanomaterials is quite different from their bulk counterparts. Further, the size plays an important role on the operative deformation mechanisms at nanoscale. In this paper, the atomistic simulations have been used to understand the deformation behaviour of BCC Fe nanowires. The results indicate that depending on the nanowire orientation, the deformation twinning can also occurs in addition to the conventional dislocation plasticity. The twin nucleates from the corners and the repeated nucleation and glide of 1/6<111> partials along the twin boundaries results in twin growth. The twin boundary in BCC Fe nanowires possesses, the displaced structure. Further, the formation of long pentagonal atomic chains has been observed during the deformation of ultra-thin BCC Fe nanowires. (author)