Using the molecular dynamics (MD) method, we investigated the effects of crack distributions on the deformation and crack growth of a nickel (Ni)-based superalloy. The results indicated that as the distance between two cracks increased, both tensile strength and plasticity decreased, while the crack growth rate significantly increased. In systems with short crack distances, strong interactions occurred between the dislocations that emitted from two cracks and the γ/γ' interface mismatched dislocation network. These interactions led to an overlap in the plastic zones ahead of the crack tips at the γ/γ' interface, which resulted in significant passivation at the front and middle regions of the cracks. Consequently, the two cracks merged in the X-direction to form a wide crack. The cracks coalescence consumed a lot of external deformation work, resulting in the highest tensile strength and plasticity. In this study, we proposed a potential approach to simultaneously enhance the strength and plasticity of multidefect systems, providing a theoretical basis for explaining deformation mechanisms and crack growth in these systems.
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