Effect of Equal Channel Angular Pressing on Different Face Center Cubic (FCC) Metals
Equal channel angle pressing (ECAP) of commercial purity aluminum (1050), oxygen free high conductivity copper (OFHC Cu) and high purity tin (99,99% Sn) were conducted using C processing route. The variation of microstructure, of micro-Vickers hardness and of macroscopic material parameters with number of pressings was documented up to ten passes. Tensile tests were used to evaluate post ECAP deformation response. Optical microscope was used to obtain statistical information on the microstructure developed during ECAP. The present results showed that, as it can be found in the literature, first ECAP pass has resulted in enhancement of mechanical properties. Further ECAP processing, as original observation, has resulted in slight improvement and after ~7 pressing decreasing of hardness can be observed. The true stress–strain curve for ECAP-ed specimens tested under tension showed the evolution of macroscopic material properties is similar. This behavior can be connected with the deformation microstructure of the specimen, grain deformation and fragmentation.