About this Abstract | 
  
   
    | Meeting | 
    2025 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
       | 
  
   
    | Symposium 
       | 
    Atomistic Simulations Linked to Experiments to Understand Mechanical Behavior: A MPMD Symposium in Honor of Professor Diana Farkas
       | 
  
   
    | Presentation Title | 
    Mobile Dislocation Mediated Hall-Petch and Inverse Hall-Petch Behaviors in Nanocrystalline Al-Doped Boron Carbide | 
  
   
    | Author(s) | 
    Jun  Li, Kun  Luo, Qi  An | 
  
   
    | On-Site Speaker (Planned) | 
    Qi  An | 
  
   
    | Abstract Scope | 
    
The Hall-Petch and inverse Hall-Petch behaviors in nanocrystalline ceramics are poorly understood due to limited dislocation activities. We utilize molecular dynamics simulations with a machine-learning force field to study the shear deformation behaviors of nanocrystalline Al-doped boron carbide (n-B12-CAlC) across varying grain sizes. A transition from Hall-Petch to inverse Hall-Petch behavior is observed when grain size reaches a critical value of 6.09 nm, with a maximum shear strength of 14.93 GPa. This transition is driven by mobile dislocations nucleated from grain boundaries (GBs) due to the breakage of weakened C-Al chain bonds. As grain size decreases, the increasing GB regions homogenize shear stress, suppressing dislocation nucleation and strengthening the material. However, further reduction in grain size (<6 nm) increases favorable sites for dislocation nucleation, reducing shear strength and triggering inverse Hall-Petch behavior. These insights elucidate the deformation mechanisms in nanocrystalline ceramics and explain the Hall-Petch to inverse Hall-Petch transition. | 
  
   
    | Proceedings Inclusion? | 
    Planned:  | 
  
 
    | Keywords | 
    Ceramics, Machine Learning, Modeling and Simulation |