Accumulative Roll Bonding of Metallic Composites

Accumulative roll bonding (ARB) is a severe plastic deformation technique that produces laminated metal composites by repeatedly stacking, surface-treating and rolling sheets under high pressure. Each pass bonds the layers through intense shear strains, promoting dynamic recrystallisation and grain refinement without melting. The process yields ultrafine-grained structures and strong interfacial adhesion, which together enhance yield strength, fatigue resistance and toughness. Control of rolling parameters—such as temperature, reduction per pass and cycle count—allows tuning of layer thickness, microstructure and mechanical anisotropy. ARB has been successfully applied to similar and dissimilar metal systems, including aluminium-based alloys, copper and steel combinations, as well as particle-reinforced laminates. Its scalability and ability to tailor properties make it attractive for aerospace, automotive and electronic thermal management applications, where lightweight strength and thermal stability are essential.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have employed crystal plasticity finite element methods to elucidate through-thickness deformation and texture evolution in aluminium single crystals processed by ARB. Simulations reveal that conventional rolling dominates during initial cycles, but from the third cycle onwards interface effects become predominant. These effects alter local shear strain distributions and activate different slip systems, leading to characteristic grain-rotation patterns and texture heterogeneity. Insights into how interfaces govern deformation across multiple passes inform strategies to predict fatigue behaviour and to design laminates with bespoke anisotropic properties.

Accumulative Roll Bonding of Metallic Composites publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in accumulative roll bonding of metallic composites across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Accumulative Roll Bonding (ARB): A severe plastic deformation process involving repeated stacking and rolling of metallic sheets to produce ultrafine-grained laminates.

Severe Plastic Deformation (SPD): A set of metalworking techniques that impose large plastic strains to refine grain size without substantially altering component dimensions.

Ultrafine-Grained (UFG): A microstructure characterised by grain sizes below approximately one micrometre, achieved through high-strain deformation.

Crystal Plasticity Finite Element Method (CPFEM): A computational framework that simulates anisotropic deformation of polycrystals by resolving slip-system activity and interfacial interactions.

Intermetallic Compound: A chemically ordered phase formed at the interface of dissimilar metals, influencing bond strength and mechanical performance.

References

1. Accumulative Roll Bonding—A Review. Applied Sciences (2019).
2. Roll Bonding Processes: State-of-the-Art and Future Perspectives. Metals (2021).
3. Microstructure, Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Al/Cu/SiC Laminated Composites, Fabricated by the ARB and CARB Processes. Crystals (2023).
4. A crystal plasticity FEM study of through-thickness deformation and texture in a {112} aluminium single crystal during accumulative roll-bonding. Scientific Reports (2019).