Plastic deformation of single crystals of transition metal disilicides

Transition metal disilicides, in particular MoSi2 are candidates for structural materials to be used in oxidizing environments at temperatures higher than the upper limit for Ni-base superalloys (1100-1200 degrees C). This paper presents a survey of studies on the deformation of transition metal disilicides with the C11(b) and its derivative structures and the Cl structure using their single crystals. Emphasis is put on revealing the current status of our knowledge of fundamentals of their plastic deformation, e.g. operative deformation modes and their critical resolved shear stresses and their variation with crystal orientation and temperature. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science S.A.