International Journal of Applied Engineering Research ISSN 0973-4562 Volume 13, Number 6 (2018) pp. 3716-3718
© Research India Publications. http://www.ripublication.com
3716
Investigating the Mechanical Properties of FCC Structured Material
Processed by Equal Channel Angular Extrusion
M. Venkat Reddy
1*
, M. Chandra Sekhar Reddy
2
, P. Venkateshwar Reddy
3
1
Department of Mechanical Engineering, TKR College of Engineering and Technology, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500097 India.
2
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College of Engineering, Osmania University, Hyderabad,
Telangana, 500007 India.
3
Department of Mechanical Engineering, G Pulla Reddy Engineering College, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, 518007 India.
Abstract
Severe plastic deformation (SPD) process like Equal Channel
Angular Extrusion (ECAE) has involved a large amount of
interest, because of its capability to make ultrafine grained
microstructures. Equal Channel Angular Extrusion is an
inventive method capable of producing homogeneous plastic
deformation for a variety of materials with no major changes
in geometrical shape and cross section. In the present work
pure aluminum has been investigated for ECAE processing.
Single pass Pressings were conducted on Al at the room
temperature. Experiments were performed by means of ECAE
die with channel angle of 120
0
attached to hydraulic press,
moreover Mechanical and micro-structural characterization of
the ECA pressed Aluminum is carried out.
Keywords: ECAE; Aluminum; SEM; Tensile Test; Hardness
Test
INTRODUCTION
Equal channel angular extrusion (ECAE) is a method of
obtaining ultra fine grain structures by imparting a huge
amount of shear strain on to the materials with no altering the
billet shape or size.
In ECAE different die angles was used to consider the effect
of strain homogeneity and deformation behavior of the
processed material. The result accomplished that the best
strain homogeneity of the sample with lower dead zone
formation can be achieved with a channel angle of 90° and
outer corner angle of 10° [1]. Proper microstructure and
mechanical properties and their effective strains were
achieved with a die channel angle of 90° [2]. Magnesium
alloy AZ31 was processed by ECAE to know the effect of
deformation behavior and fracture toughness. The result
originate that the deformation behavior was improved by the
ECAE process [3]. The effect ECAE process on grain
refinement was investigated numerically and experimentally
using different die angles [4]. The effects of multi-pass
processing was investigated and found that the much more
improvement in grain refinement and strength on the
specimens was observed [5]. The effects of friction conditions
was investigated between workpiece and die during ECAE
process and found that forming loads varied very sensitively
depending on the friction conditions [6]. The present study
aims at the investigation of micro-structural improvements
during the ECAE processing along with the tensile and
hardness tests.
METHODOLOGY
The equal channel angular extrusion (ECAE) process consists
of die, punch and billet. In ECAE process the die is made of
two channels of same cross section (symmetrical), the punch
is placed on the die. Before processing the workpiece and the
walls of the die were coated with lubricant in order to
minimize the friction during the ECAE process. This was
done by forcing the material through a die consisting of two
channels of equal cross sectional area that intersect at an angle
of Φ-120
o
. There is also an additional angle Ψ-30
o
which
defines the arc of curvature at the outer point of the two
intersecting channels. Fig.1 shows the ECAE die used for the
present study.
Figure.1: Experimental Setup of ECAE process
Die Design Details
The dimensions considered for developing the ECAE process
setup in below Table 1. The ECAE die contains two channels,
equal in cross-section, intersecting at an angle near the center
of the die. The test sample is machined to fit within these
channels and it is pressed through the die using a punch. Die