Superplastic extensibility of nanocrystalline copper at room temperature

A bulk nanocrystalline (nc) pure copper with high purity and high density was synthesized by electrodeposition. An extreme extensibility (elongation exceeds 5000%) without a strain hardening effect was observed when the nc copper specimen was rolled at room temperature. Microstructure analysis suggests that the superplastic extensibility of the nc copper originates from a deformation mechanism dominated by grain boundary activities rather than lattice dislocation, which is also supported by tensile creep studies at room temperature. This behavior demonstrates new possibilities for scientific and technological advancements with nc materials.