Self-Organization of Various-Scale Structural Groups in a Cu/NbTi Composite under the Effect of Hydrostatic Bundle Extrusion

Using repeated bundle extrusion of a Cu/NbTi composite, we have obtained a high-strength heterophase alloy having superconducting properties. X-ray diffraction characterization has shown that the material we obtained has an unstressed, relaxed structure in the form of self-consistent, locally diffusion-alloyed atomic groups ranging widely in size, which can be divided into three groups: (1) microcrystalline long-range-ordered particles about 450 angstrom in size, showing up as Debye peaks with sharp tops; (2) mesoscopic clusters with a nanoscale atomic order, responsible for broad diffuse lines; and (3) small low-dimensional atomic groups with short-range order (10-50 angstrom), responsible for incoherent diffuse X-ray scattering (very broad diffuse halos).