Abstract: An apparatus that continuously processes a metal workpiece without substantially altering its cross section includes a wheel member having an endless circumferential groove, and a stationary constraint die that surrounds the wheel member, covers most of the length of the groove, and forms a passageway with the groove. The passageway has a rectangular shaped cross section. An abutment member projects from the die into the groove and blocks one end of the passageway. The wheel member rotates relative to the die in the direction toward the abutment member. An output channel in the die adjacent the abutment member has substantially the same cross section as the passageway. A metal workpiece is fed through an input channel into the passageway and carried in the groove by frictional drag in the direction towards the abutment member, and is extruded through the output channel without any substantial change in cross section.

Abstract: Coarse-grained titanium and ultrafine-grained (UFG) titanium billets were processed into titanium foil cold rolling and intermediate annealing. The foil produced from the UFG titanium billet exhibits a homogeneous nanostructure. By contrast, foil produced by cold rolling the coarse-grained titanium billet exhibits a heterogeneous structure with both nanostructured and coarser-grained regions. The foil produced from UFG billets has higher strength, higher ductility, and exhibits uniform deformation over a larger strain range at room temperature than foil produced from coarse-grained billets.