Direct evidence of the stacking fault-mediated strain hardening phenomenon

Strain hardening in metallic materials delays catastrophic failure at stresses beyond the yield strength by the formation of obstacles to dislocation motion during plastic deformation. Conventional measurement of the instantaneous strain hardening rate originates from load–displacement data acquired during uniaxial mechanical testing, rather than the evolution of obstacles. In order to resolve hardening from the perspective of the very obstacles that cause strengthening, we used an in situ neutron diffraction experimental approach to determine the strain hardening rate based upon real-time measurement of stacking fault interspacing during plastic deformation. Results provide clear evidence of the evolving contribution of obstacles during plastic deformation. The collapse of interspacing between multiple obstacle types enabled immense strain hardening in a Fe38.5Mn20Cr15Co20Si5Cu1.5 high entropy alloy leading to a true tensile strength of ∼1.7 GPa along with elongation of ∼35% at room temperature.