Thermomechanical treatment of steel using severe plastic deformation and cryogenic cooling

•Cryogenic cooling during HPT processing leads to more intensive grain grinding.•After 8 deformation cycles the structure with grain size of 30–40 nm was obtained.•Strength parameters were increased by 3.3–4 times.•Cryogenic cooling during HPT processing leads to more intensive grain grinding.•After 8 deformation cycles the structure with grain size of 30–40 nm was obtained.•Strength parameters were increased by 3.3–4 times. The present study was devoted to the effect of severe plastic deformation implemented by the HPT method in a new design die at ambient and cryogenic temperatures on the microstructure and properties of AISI-316 austenitic stainless steel. The presented results demonstrate the favorable role of severe plastic deformation by the HPT method in increasing the degree of grain grinding of AISI-316 steel, which directly favorably affects the mechanical properties of the material.