2025/09/02 by En Ma, Ma, En, Ting Zhu +1
Materials Science · #Boron and Carbon Nanomaterials Research #FOS: Physical sciences #Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) #Microstructure and mechanical properties #Nonlocal and gradient elasticity in micro/nano structures
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2509.01908
openalex publication_date 2025/09/02 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
The recently proposed term "heterostructured (HS) materials" serves as an umbrella classification encompassing a wide range of materials that hold great promise for enhanced mechanical properties. Most HS materials exhibit back-stress strengthening, as is typical for all plastically non-homogeneous materials. To better embody the distinctiveness of materials crafted via innovative heterostructuring, here we introduce the concept of "structural gradient hardening" (SGH), which captures an essential feature of HS materials and complements traditional strengthening mechanisms. SGH refers to the extra strengthening that arises from a characteristic gradient structure introduced by heterostructuring, beyond what is predicted by the rule of mixtures. This distinction is useful, as the overall back stress can in fact be partitioned into Type I and Type II components, with the latter specifically quantifying the extra hardening originating from the structural and strain gradients established by heterostructuring, as articulated in this Viewpoint article.