Nanostructuring of beryllium bronze : Contribution of grain boundaries segregation and solid solution

Abstract

The impact of composition on grain refinement in solutionized Cu-Be alloys was investigated. High-pressure torsion resulted in grain sizes of 10–110 nm for Cu–1 wt.% Be and 10–20 nm for Cu-2 wt.%Be. Our findings indicate that Be stabilizes the nanoscale grain size, which is influenced by the balance between defect creation and annihilation. Consequently, Be concentration serves as a key parameter for directing microstructure and property changes during severe plastic deformation.