Non-equilibrium intermixing and phase transformation in severely deformed Al/Ni multilayers

Al/Ni multilayers were prepared by repeated folding and cold rolling (F&R) of elemental foils. The thickness of Al and Ni foils was reduced down to less than 50 nm after 50 F&R cycles. Three-dimensional atom probe analyses clearly reveal the presence of supersaturated solid solutions and provide evidence of deformation-induced intermixing. The formation of the solid solutions and their transformation into the Al3Ni phase upon annealing is discussed. (c) 2006 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.