The mechanical properties of fine-scale two-phase materials

The deformation of materials that possess characteristic length scales less than those achievable via traditional routes of recrystallization may be governed by processes significantly different from those associated with traditional engineering materials. Recent advances in techniques for fabricating ultra-fine-scale materials have led to a number of interesting observations in both deformation processed and multilayered materials. Here, observations from a number of different fine-scale materials (both those produced via deformation and deposition) will be brought together in order to give a general description of our current understanding and possible future routes for a study of the mechanical behaviour of this interesting class of materials. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.