Nanotwinned CrN ceramics with enhanced plasticity

Liangliang Liu, Xiaokai An, Xinlei Gu, Tijun Li, Dongjie Yang, Bingjing Huang, Qiang Xu, Ziqi Ma, Shusheng Chen, Kan Zhang (), Suihan Cui (), Paul K. Chu and Zhongzhen Wu ()
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Liangliang Liu: Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School
Xiaokai An: Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School
Xinlei Gu: Jilin University
Tijun Li: Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School
Dongjie Yang: Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School
Bingjing Huang: Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School
Qiang Xu: Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School
Ziqi Ma: Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School
Shusheng Chen: Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School
Kan Zhang: Jilin University
Suihan Cui: Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School
Paul K. Chu: Kowloon
Zhongzhen Wu: Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract Ceramic materials are usually hard but brittle, and it is challenging to achieve a simultaneous enhancement of strength and plasticity using conventional strengthening methods. In ceramic materials with similar atomic size and properties, the fabrication of nanotwins is a promising approach to enhance the plasticity, but it is unknown whether the strategy works for transition metal nitrides. Herein, nanotwinned CrN (NT-CrN) with a twin density of 9.0 × 1015 m-2 and twin-containing grain volume fraction of about 52 % is prepared by adjusting the ion kinetic energy during growth. Owing to the twin boundaries, NT-CrN exhibits high hardness (>36 GPa) and enhanced room-temperature plasticity at the same time. Compression deformation of over 40% without brittle failure is achieved. The enhanced room-temperature plasticity is attributed to the distributions of nanotwin boundaries (nano-TB) which allow special slipping by twisting the polyhedron constructed by nano-TB without bond breakage. The accompanying twin proliferation and fusion subsequently dissipate the energy to enhance the plasticity.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-61275-2

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