Behavior of Nb and Cu–Nb Composites under Severe Plastic Deformation and Annealing

Abstract

Nowadays potentialities of obtaining bulk nanostructured materials with unique properties by various techniques of severe plastic deformation (SPD) are comprehensively studied, and niobium, being a refractory, but plastic enough metal, is an ideal object for such studies. Besides, niobium is a metal of special interest as an advanced functional material, being one of the main constituents of such important electro-technical materials as high-strength Cu–Nb composites and multifilamentary Nb₃Sn-based and NbTi superconductors. The present paper is an overview on evolution of Nb microstructure under SPD via different routes and under large plastic deformation by cold drawing of composite wires (in a Cu matrix). The main attention in this paper is paid to the original studies of the authors (with their coauthors), but the available publications on the topics considered are involved and reviewed as well.