Effect of strain path on structure and mechanical behavior of ultra-fine grain Cu–Cr alloy produced by equal-channel angular pressing

The effect of strain path during severe plastic deformation via equal-channel angular pressing on grain refinement and structural features of a model Cu–Cr alloy is investigated in terms of grain shape, dimensions, preferred crystallographic orientation and distribution of grain boundaries with respect to the angle of misorientation. The mechanical behavior of differently processed specimens is assessed in both monotonic and cyclic tests aimed at clarification of the role played by different structural factors in the resultant mechanical properties. It is shown, that despite the considerable microstructural differences in the grain morphology and texture, the tensile and fatigue strength is only slightly affected by the processing routes chosen in the present study. However, the strain path and, therefore, the grain shape and texture have some effect on ductility and strain localization, which is particularly pronounced during cyclic loading.