Processing and Deformation Behavior of Bulk Cu–Nb Nanolaminates

Metallic nanolaminates, composed of alternating layers of two dissimilar metals, have attracted significant attention due to both their high strengths and their potential for excellent microstructural stability. While nanolaminates have traditionally been available only in thin-film form, advances in the severe plastic deformation process of accumulative roll bonding (ARB) have enabled the production of 4-mm-thick sheets of copper-niobium nanolaminates containing over 200,000 individual layers (a nominal layer thickness of <20 nm). The ability to produce bulk nanolaminates has greatly expanded the potential applications for these materials and has motivated investigations into formability, deformation behavior, and joining techniques. This paper presents an overview of both the ARB processing technique and recent investigations into the deformation behavior of these novel materials.