A further study on effect of large strain on structure and properties of a Cu–Zn alloy

A Cu–38%Zn alloy has been deeply deformed to a very large strain by using the method of equal-cross section lateral extrusion (ECSLE), and the influence of the process on the structure and properties of the alloy have been investigated. It is revealed by XRD analysis that the average crystallite size of the matrix phase decreases to 100–150 nm, when the equivalent true strain is increased to 80, while the size, shape and distribution of the second phase have been changed little, which displays a characteristic of ECSLE deformation.