Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
1447723 Acta Materialia 2010 12 Pages PDF
Abstract

Equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP) is an established method to produce ultra-fine-grained (UFG) materials with extraordinary mechanical properties. However, different methods to characterize the complex microstructure give contradictory results. Therefore an ECAP-processed UFG aluminum alloy AA6063 was characterized by various electron-microscopy-based methods such as backscattered electron contrast, electron backscatter diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and low-voltage scanning transmission electron microscopy. Only a skilful combination of all methods reveals the complete information about the microstructure which is needed to understand the results of the mechanical testing by nanoindentation, tensile tests and strain-rate jump test. The main difference is the amount of low-angle grain boundaries and high-angle grain boundaries which determine hardness, tensile and yield strength and strain-rate sensitivity of ECAP materials produced by different numbers of passes and routes. This is explained by the interaction of dislocations with the different grain boundaries.

Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering Materials Science Ceramics and Composites
Authors
, , , , ,