Refinement and consolidation of pure Al particles by equal channel angular pressing and torsion

Consolidation of pure Al powder was conducted at 200 °C by equal channel angular pressing and torsion (ECAPT) method. The grain refinement and consolidation behavior were deeply investigated by scan electronic microscopy (SEM) and transmission electronic microscopy (TEM). The density, hardness and room temperature compression properties of the deformed samples were measured. The experiment results show that ECAPT is an effective method of consolidating powders at relatively low temperatures. Pure Al particles are successfully consolidated into dense bulk material after 4 passes of ECAPT at 200 °C. The consolidated material possesses fine grain structure and excellent mechanical properties. The refinement and consolidation mechanisms were analyzed. ECAPT is a promising method to produce the high-performance bulk materials from particles.