Published online by Cambridge University Press: 03 March 2011
The room temperature tensile properties of ultrafine-grained 25-μm gold wires were evaluated as a function of calcium (Ca) doping at various strain rates ranging between 10−3 and 10−1 s−1. Paradoxically, the increased amount of Ca was found to simultaneously increase the strength and ductility of the Au wires. However, based on scanning electron microscopy and tensile characterization, the grain size distributions, strain-hardening rate, and strain rate sensitivity of Au wires did not change with Ca, thus showing that neither grain refinement nor plastic instability are likely to be responsible for the concurrent improvement of strength and ductility.