Mechanical Behavior of Electrodeposited Bulk Nanocrystalline Fe-Ni Alloys

Bulk nanocrystalline Fe-Ni alloys with Ni content of 40-55 at.%, grain size of 12-15 nm, and hardness of 3.9-4.6 were prepared by an electrodeposition. The decrease in the hardness values as grain size decreased was discussed in terms of grain refinement effect, solid solution strengthening, and grain boundary relaxation strengthening. It was found that the change of Ni content could not significant solid solution strengthening, and there were no difference in the state of grain boundary for each sample. Micro X-ray diffraction analysis on the sample after tensile tests showed that the (200) texture was developed but full width at half maximum was not changed. This indicated the potency that the grain boundary activity would be induced by a tensile loading. The softening behavior of electrodeposited Fe–Ni alloys would be related to the transition of the dominant deformation mechanisms.