Gradient nano-grained (GNG) structure has been developed to solve the notable dilemma of the strength-ductility. However, the surface plastic strain-induced grain refinement often results in cracking or peeling of materials when overloaded. This study proposed a bending compensated surface mechanical grinding treatment (BC-SMGT) for thin metallic sheets, where the elastic bending dynamically compensates the perpendicular indentation-induced penetration. This unique deformation feature results in gradient nanostructured layers, with a grain size ranging from similar to 80 nm to a few microns in...
