ABSTRACT
Strength and ductility are two of the most important mechanical properties for a metal, but often trade off with each other. This chapter reports a 316L stainless steel with superior combinations of strength and ductility that can be controlled by fine-tuning its hetero-structured lamella structure (HLS). More recently, HLS prepared by simple cold rolling and annealing were reported to markedly enhance the strength and ductility of Ti and 301 stainless steel. Unusual high strength was obtained with the assistance of high hetero-deformation induced (HDI) stress, whereas high ductility was attributed to HDI hardening and dislocation hardening. The conventional cold rolling with subsequent short annealing can effectively control the formation and evolution of HLS in 316L stainless steel, which produced superior combinations of strength and ductility. By means of the conventional cold rolling, the heterostructured lamellar structure was produced, which is characterized with lamella coarse grains sandwiched between zones consisting of nano-grains and nano-twins in a 316L stainless steel.
