Influence of thermal treatment and cyclic plastic deformation on the defect structure in ultrafine-grained nickel

Ultrafine-grained (UFG) high purity nickel samples produced by equichannel angular pressing were submitted to thermal treatment and cyclic plastic deformation at different temperatures in order to investigate the stability of the defect structure. After annealing recrystallization already occurs in a temperature range between 425K - 475K. Impurities increase the recrystallization temperature. At room temperature cyclic plastic deformation induces a coarsening of grains and subgrains and at 425K a dynamic recrystallization. Additionally , the mean volume expansion, long-range and short-range internal strains, investigated by synchrotron radiation diffraction for the UFG deformation stage are diminished in consequence of cyclic plastic deformation.