Effect of thermal annealing on mechanical properties of a nanostructured copper prepared by means of dynamic plastic deformation

Thermal annealing of a nanostructured Cu sample processed by means of dynamic plastic deformation (DPD) induces static recrystallization (SRX) accompanied by a drop in strength and enhanced ductility. An obvious increment in tensile uniform elongation appears when the volume fraction of SRX grains exceeds 80%. The strength–ductility combination of the annealed nanostructured samples is superior to that of strain-induced ultrafine-grained Cu, owing to the finer grains and the presence of nanoscale twin bundles generated from the DPD.