Effect of Deformation Rate on the Elastic-Plastic Deformation Behavior of GH3625 Alloy

GH3625 alloy is a typical polycrystalline material. The mechanical properties of a crystal within the alloy depend on the single crystal properties, lattice orientation, and orientations of neighboring crystals. However, accurate determination of single crystal properties is critical in developing a quantitative understanding of the micromechanical behavior of GH3625. In this study, the effect of deformation rate on the elastoplastic deformation behavior of GH3625 was investigated using in situ neutron diffraction room-temperature compression experiments, EBSD, and TEM. The results showed that the microscopic stress–strain curve included elastic deformation (applied stress, σ ≤ 300 MPa), elastoplastic transition (300 MPa < σ ≤ 350 MPa), and plastic deformation (σ > 350 MPa) stages, which agreed with the mesoscopic lattice strain behavior. Meanwhile, the deformation rate was closely related to the crystal elastic and plastic anisotropy. The results of the lattice strain, peak width, and intensity reflected by the specific hkl showed that the deformation rate had little effect on the elastic anisotropy of the crystal, but had a significant effect on the plastic anisotropy of the crystal. With the increase in the deformation rate, the high angle grain boundaries gradually changed to the low angle grain boundaries, and the proportion of twin boundaries gradually reduced. Also, the grains transformed from uniform deformation to nonuniform deformation. Moreover, with the increase in deformation rate, the total dislocation density (ρ) of the alloy first decreased and then increased, whereas the geometrically necessary dislocation density (ρGND) monotonically increased, and the statistically stored dislocation (SSD) density (ρSSD) monotonically decreased. Meanwhile, the abnormal work hardening behavior of the sample at a deformation rate of 0.2 mm/min was mainly related to the SSD generated by uniform deformation. Additionally, the contribution of dislocation strengthening and TEM observation confirmed that the dominant deformation of GH3625 was dislocation slip, and its work hardening mechanism was dislocation strengthening.