Cryogenic micropillar compression of Ti3AlC2, Ti3SiC2 and Cr2AlC: A comparative evaluation of composition-dependent dislocation mobility in MAX Phases

J.T. Pürstl; C. Tian; A. Sharma; A. Nascimento; N.M. della Ventura; T.E.J. Edwards; P. Chartier; M. Vreeswijk; R.P. Thompson; I.J. Beyerlein; J.J. Schwiedrzik; J. Michler; W.J. Clegg; N.G. Jones

doi:10.1016/j.actamat.2026.122432

Journal article Cryogenic micropillar compression of Ti3AlC2, Ti3SiC2 and Cr2AlC: A comparative evaluation of composition-dependent dislocation mobility in MAX Phases

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J.T. Pürstl, C. Tian, A. Sharma, A. Nascimento, N.M. della Ventura, T.E.J. Edwards, P. Chartier, M. Vreeswijk, R.P. Thompson, I.J. Beyerlein, J.J. Schwiedrzik, J. Michler, W.J. Clegg, N.G. Jones. Cryogenic micropillar compression of Ti3AlC2, Ti3SiC2 and Cr2AlC: A comparative evaluation of composition-dependent dislocation mobility in MAX Phases. Acta Materialia. 2026, 316 (), 122432. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2026.122432

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(abstract)

MAX phases serve as an ideal model system for studying the crossover between metallic and ceramic behavior, and improved ceramic ductility. This ductility is primarily linked to the anomalously easy glide of basal plane dislocations; yet a full theoretical understanding of the characteristics governing their mobility remains a subject of continuing research. Following recent efforts using atomistic simulations of MAX phase basal plane dislocation cores, the present study focused on an experimental evaluation of friction and Peierls stresses in three representative MAX phase compounds, Ti3AlC2, Ti3SiC2, and Cr2AlC, using micropillar compression at cryogenic temperatures. The study examines specifically the effects of temperature, size, and pristine dislocation morphology under aid of crystal plasticity finite element simulations to derive the lattice resistance for each compound and compare it with previously simulated results. The results confirm a significant role of core structures and bonding characteristics on MAX phase dislocation plasticity, and further indicate a non-negligible influence of dislocation interactions or forest hardening on bulk MAX phase ductility. The cryogenic tests presented here mark the first such experiments in MAX phases and open new pathways for understanding their deformation behavior at low temperatures.

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Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 International

Keyword: MAX phases, Micropillar compression, Peierls stresses, Activation parameters, Cryogenic deformation

Date published: 2026-06-09

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Journal:

Acta Materialia (ISSN: 13596454) vol. 316 122432

Funding:

EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions 754364
Office of Naval Research N00014-26-1-2021
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council Doctoral Training Programme

Manuscript type: Publisher's version (Version of record)

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First published URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2026.122432

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Updated at: 2026-07-08 11:46:21 +0900

Published on MDR: 2026-07-08 14:26:11 +0900

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