New discoveries in deformed metals

Microstructural analysis by advanced and automated methods has allowed deformation microstructures to be quantified in terms of common structural parameters. This quantification has shown for a variety of materials and processing conditions that the microstructural evolution follows a universal pattern of grain subdivision from the macroscale to the nanometer scale. This microstructural evolution has been described empirically and in theoretical models based on general principles for the formation of dislocation structures during plastic deformation by slip. The similarity between the behavior of materials undergoing different deformation patterns forms the basis for future research and development encompassing traditional as well as new materials and processes.