High strength and utilizable ductility of bulk ultrafine-grained Cu-Al alloys

Lack of plasticity is the main drawback for nearly all ultrafine-grained (UFG) materials, which restricts their practical applications. Bulk UFG Cu-Al alloys have been fabricated by using equal channel angular pressing technique. Its ductility was improved to exceed the criteria for structural utility while maintaining a high strength by designing the microstructure via alloying. Factors resulting in the simultaneously enhanced strength and ductility of UFG Cu-Al alloys are the formation of deformation twins and their extensive intersections facilitating accumulation of dislocations.