Grain refinement and mechanical properties of CP-Ti processed by warm accumulative roll bonding

Accumulative roll bonding (ARB), a severe plastic deformation technique, was used in this study to process commercially pure titanium (CP-Ti) at 450 °C. Sheet samples were processed by seven consecutive ARB cycles, with an overall equivalent strain of 5.6. Mechanical characterization and microstructural examination were carried out on the processed material to track their changes and relationships with regard to one another. Electron microscopy, TEM in particular, revealed significant grain refinement in the material, with submicron microstructure achieved even after one cycle of warm processing. Further processing was shown to progressively fragment the highly elongated grains, ultimately producing a predominantly-equiaxed ultrafine grain structure with an average grain size of ∼100 nm. Tensile strength and microhardness of the material increased with the number of ARB cycles; the strength-grain size relationship followed the Hall-Petch equation. The overall grain refinement and strengthening levels observed here are close to those reported in the literature for ARB processing of CP-Ti at ambient temperatures. This demonstrates the ability of warm ARB can be as effective as cold ARB, while offering several advantages for industrial utilization.