DEVELOPMENT OF A HOMOGENEOUS MICROSTRUCTURE IN PURE ALUMINUM PROCESSED BY ECAP

摘要

Equal-Channel Angular Pressing (ECAP) is a newly-developed process utilizing simple shear to refine the grains of materials to achieve advanced properties without changing the dimensions of the samples. In this report, pure Al was subjected to ECAP up to 4 passes and the homogeneity of the microstructure was inspected using microhardness measurements throughout the cross-sectional plane. The results show that processing by ECAP tends to develop a greater homogeneity with the imposition of increasing strain. In addition, a corner angle of 20°within the die leads to an insignificant change in the sample homogeneity. The tendency to develop a homogeneous microstructure is advantageous for ambient as well as hot working conditions.