Die-hard plastic deformation behavior in an ultrahigh-strength Fe-Ni-Al-C alloy

An important property of metallic materials is their ability to deform plastically. Ductility enables materials to be formed into various shapes and guarantees reliability under structural use. However, there is a trade-off relationship between ductility and strength. Here, we show a cold-worked Fe-24.6%Ni-5.8%Al-0.44%C alloy having yield strength of approximately 2 GPa, and a uniform elongation of over 20%. Activation of two or more deformation mechanisms is considered to be responsible for this “die-hard” plastic deformation with continuous, inhomogeneous strain hardening.