FEM analysis of equal channel angular processes

Much effort has been devoted to the study of the formation of superplastic in aluminum alloys on account of its cost and engineering advantages. From a mechanical point of view, the ability of a crystalline material to undergo superplastic behavior is usually linked to a submicrometer grain size. Equal channel angular extrusion (ECAE) is an innovative technique for developing ultrafine-grained microstructures by introducing a severe plastic deformation in a bulk material with no significant changes in its cross-section. Equally, equal channel angular drawing (ECAD) is an emerging technology that permits more industrial applications than the former. However, the deformations thus obtained are much lower. This work presents a study of the application of the finite elements method to this technique using two common angles of 90 and 120°. Process conditions have been modified in order to analyze the effect of friction between the dies and the billet. Moreover, experimental ECAE and ECAD methods have been carried out using 3103 Al–Mn; 5083 Al–Mg and 1370 aluminum alloys through Routes A and B.

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