Influence of Experimental Environment on the Enhancement of Ultra Fine Grain Structure with Optimum Ductility of Equal Channel Angular Pressed Copper

Strengthening the engineering material through Severe Plastic Deformation and associated structural refinement is an established practice. Among the Severe Plastic Deformation process, Equal Channel Angular Pressing (ECAP) assumes a significant place. In this, it is possible to attain even ultra fine grain (UFG) structure through high deformation in bulk material working mode. However ECAPed material suffers lack of ductility, structural inhomogenity and even thermodynamically unstable structure, as evidenced in the published literature on ECAP of copper. The present study on ECAP of commercial purity copper aimed to attain a structure of higher hardness by shedding little ductility is deviated from the past work; in this, commercial quality copper is ECAPed at 300 0 C with a die geometry channel angle of 110 0 and corner angle of 20 0 necessitating less local/working stress. During certain number of passes (six passes), the material experiences higher hardness with fair amount of ductility. The material does not exhibit any further strengthening beyond six passes, which is possibly due to dislocations annihilation/recovery. The increased strength and loss of ductility of the material results in degrading the material when it undergoes tenth pass.