Obtaining long products by severe plastic deformation methods: A Review

Over the last 20-30 years, severe plastic deformation (SPD) technologies have caused a significant resonance in the production of ultrafine grained and nanostructured materials. However, the growth of demand for such technologies is largely limited by the high cost of making products from such materials due to the high energy and labour intensity of their production. Therefore, this article analyzes modern technologies for the production of ultra-fine grained metals and alloys with high strength and ductility, using relatively simple and inexpensive equipment and with minimal time required for their production. The development and proliferation of continuous casting machines in the second half of the 20th century led to the development of many continuous press methods used for deformation of long billets, among which Conform, Extrolling, Linex and combined rolling-press technologies stand out. Therefore, in the present article all combined and continuous processes currently available for the production of long products with ultrafine grains and nanostructures will be considered. Such structures are fundamentally different from conventional materials, because they combine high strength properties with high ductility. This is relevant for applications where weight, size or special performance characteristics of the parts are important.