Grain boundary sliding mechanism in plastic deformation of nano-grained YAG transparent ceramics: Generalized self-consistent model and nanoindentation experimental validation

Abstract The elastic-plastic deformation behaviors of nano-grained and coarse-grained yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) transparent ceramics are investigated using nanoindentation. An inverse Hall-Petch relation is observed for the nano-grained YAG ceramic and a forward Hall-Petch relation is observed for the coarse-grained YAG ceramic. In addition, the plastic work ratio as a function of applied load for the nano-grained YAG ceramic shows a different trend than that for the coarse-grained YAG ceramic. These observations suggest that the plastic deformation of the nano-grained YAG ceramic cannot be attributed to the normal dislocation mechanism and is controlled by grain boundary sliding. A generalized self-consistent model for studying the mechanical behavior of the nano-grained YAG ceramic is developed and validated by experimental results. The stress-strain relationship predicted by this model is embedded in finite element simulations which confirmed that the plastic deformation of the nano-grained YAG ceramic indeed can be attributed to grain boundary sliding.