The microstructural evolution during the equal channel angular pressing process and its relationship with the tensile behavior of oxygen-free copper

Abstract

In the present study, the tensile behavior of nanograin-sized, pure copper produced by the equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) process, which is at present one of the most popular methods for producing nanograined bulk material, was examined as related to the microstructural evolution. It was found that the yield and tensile strength values of 99.99 pct pure, oxygen-free copper increased with the increasing number of ECAP cycles due to the strain hardening in the initial stage. Further ECAP process promoted the formation of equiaxed grains accompanied with the gradual decrease in dislocation density. Once the equiaxed grain formed, the decrease in dislocation density would be further accelerated due to the extremely high rate of dynamic recovery with the grain boundary area acting as a dislocation sink. The strain hardening mechanism would then stop to operate and the fine grain boundary hardening mechanism would begin to dominate after the forth cycle of the ECAP process, resulting in an increase in the tensile ductility without sacrificing the strength.