Decoding the Enhanced Strength‒Ductility Combination of Heterostructured and Antimicrobial Stainless Steel at Cryogenic Temperatures

Our group has developed heterostructured and antimicrobial stainless steel (HS&AMSS). The new Cu-bearing H&AMSS has ~6 times improvement in yield strength compared to the conventional counterpart at room temperature, accompanied by antimicrobial properties. Moreover, the HS&AMSS exhibits a higher strength and ductility along with significant strain hardening at 77 K compared to room temperature. To unravel the underlying deformation mechanisms and establish the deformation pathway, we propose to perform temperature-dependent in-situ deformation measurements at Engin-X from room temperature to 15 K. The primary objective of these experiments is to explore the deformation behaviour of HS&AMSS at cryogenic temperatures. Our goal is to identify the activation of distinct deformation mechanisms and gain insights into the deformation pathways unique to this new steel.