Evolution of hardness in ultrafine-grained metals processed by high-pressure torsion

Abstract

The processing of metals through the application of high-pressure torsion (HPT) provides the potential for achieving exceptional grain refinement in bulk metals. Numerous reports are now available demonstrating the application of HPT to a range of pure metals and simple alloys. In practice, excellent grain refinement is achieved using this processing technique with the average grain size often reduced to the true nano-scale range. Contrary to the significant grain refinement achieved in metals during HPT, the models of the hardness evolution are very different depending upon the material properties. For a better understanding of the material characteristics after conventional HPT processing, this report demonstrates the hardness evolutions in simple metals including high-purity Al, commercial purity aluminum Al-1050, ZK60A magnesium alloy and Zn-22% Al eutectoid alloy after processing by HPT. Separate models of hardness evolution are described with increasing equivalent strain by HPT. Moreover, a new approach for the use of HPT is demonstrated by synthesizing an Al–Mg metal system by processing two separate commercial metals of Al-1050 and ZK60A through conventional HPT processing at room temperature.