Deformation-induced nanoscale high-temperature phase separation in Co-Fe alloys at room temperature

Instead of applying severe plastic deformation, high-temperature heat treatment or high pressure, grain refinement and high-temperature phase separation induced by deformation in single-phase body-centered-cubic (bcc) coarse-grained Co–Fe alloys have been achieved by simple room-temperature compression. The alloys exhibit large plasticity over 140% without fracture. Phase separation from the bcc phase to nanoscale face-centered-cubic Fe and Co phases, which generally occurs at high temperature above ∼ 1150 K, is formed in the deformed samples. The possible mechanisms are shear deformation and deformation-enhanced atomic diffusion rather than the temperature rise during deformatio