Mechanical behaviors of as-deposited and annealed nanostructured Ni-Fe alloys

The mechanical properties of an electrodeposited nanocrystalline Ni-Fe alloy were studied as a function of the angle between the compression and columnar grain axes. Improved ductility was achieved as the applied load was along the grain column axis. After annealing at 250 degrees C, the yield strength increased and the plastic strain dropped remarkably. However, the annealing embrittlement cannot be attributed to the impurity segregation. The roles of texture and grain boundary relaxation upon annealing on the strength and ductility of nanocrystalline alloys were discussed. (C) 2011 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.