Effect of Incremental Shrinking Process on Mechanical Properties and Microstructure of Alloy through Electron Backscatter Diffraction Analysis

Abstract

In recent years, the incremental shrinking process has been widely used in the forming process of aluminum alloy components for the railway vehicles. The effect of the incremental shrinking process on the performance and microstructure of 6082-T6 aluminum alloy was investigated through mechanical tests and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analysis. The tensile test specimens prepared in different rolling orientations (0˚,45˚and 90˚) along the original and deformed sheets exhibited the mechanical anisotropy. After the incremental shrinking process, the average microhardness, tensile strength, and yield strength of this alloy were respectively increased by nearly 8.78%,2.26%,2.72%, while the Elongation was decreased by almost 31.67%. By analyzing the EBSD data, the strength of the material is increased by the incremental shrinking process and its mechanical anisotropy is improved, whereas its plasticity is greatly deteriorated.