Using finite element modeling to examine the temperature distribution in quasi-constrained high-pressure torsion

Processing by quasi-constrained high-pressure torsion (HPT) is important for achieving substantial grain refinement in bulk solids, but very little information is available at present on the rise in temperature that occurs in the HPT specimens during the processing operation. This problem was addressed by using finite element modeling with an analytical component to evaluate the thermal characteristics in quasi-constrained HPT. The analysis incorporates the effects of various parameters, including the material strength, the rotation rate, the applied pressure and the volume of the anvils. The calculations show that the temperature rise varies directly with the material strength and the rotation rate, but depends only slightly on the applied pressure. Using this analysis, a normalized master curve is constructed that may be used to predict the rise in temperature during HPT processing. It is demonstrated that the predictions from this curve are in good agreement with experimental data for three different materials.