Local decomposition induced by dislocation motions inside precipitates in an Al-alloy

Dislocations in crystals are linear crystallographic defects, which move in lattice when crystals are plastically deformed. Motion of a partial dislocation may remove or create stacking fault characterized with a partial of a lattice translation vector. Here we report that motion of partial dislocations inside an intermetallic compound result in a local composition deviation from its stoichiometric ratio, which cannot be depicted with any vectors of the primary crystal. Along dislocation slip bands inside the deformed Al(2)Cu particles, redistribution of Cu and Al atoms leads to a local decomposition and collapse of the original crystal structure. This finding demonstrates that dislocation slip may induce destabilization in complex compounds, which is fundamentally different from that in monometallic crystals. This phenomenon of chemical unmixing of initially homogeneous multicomponent solids induced by dislocation motion might also have important implications for understanding the geologic evolvement of deep-focus peridotites in the Earth.