Refinement of Al-5%Cu and Al-25%Cu Alloys by Means of KoBo Methods

• Published in: Archives of metallurgy and materials 2020-01, Vol.65 (4), p.1477
• Main Authors: Rodak, K, Brzezińska, A, Sobota, J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alloys; Aluminum; Binary alloys; Coefficients; Compressive properties; Copper; Deformation; Deformation effects; Extrusion; Face centered cubic lattice; Intermetallic phases; Mechanical properties; Microscopy; Microstructure; Optical microscopy; Plastic deformation; Reduction; Scanning electron microscopy; Scanning transmission electron microscopy; Tensile tests; Ultimate tensile strength
• ISSN: 1733-3490; 2300-1909
• DOI: 10.24425/amm.2020.133716

This study was undertaken to investigate the effect of severe plastic deformation (SPD) by extrusion combined with reversible torsion (KoBo) method on microstructure and mechanical properties of Al-5Cu and Al-25Cu alloys. The extrusion combined with reversible torsion was carried out using reduction coefficient of λ = 30 and λ = 98. In this work, the microstructure was characterized by light microscopy (LM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). Compression test and tensile test were performed for deformed alloys. The binary Al-5Cu and Al-25Cu alloys consist of the face cantered cubic (FCC) α phase in the form of dendrites and tetragonal (C16) θ-Al2Cu intermetallic phase observed in interdentritic regions. The increase of Cu content leads to increase of interdentritic regions. The microstructure of the alloys is refined after applying KoB deformation with λ = 30 and λ = 98. Ultimate Tensile Strength (UTS) of Al-5Cu alloy after KoBo deformation with λ = 30 and λ = 98 reached about 200 MPa. UTS for samples of Al-25Cu with λ = 30 and λ = 98 increased compared to Al-5Cu alloy and exceed 320 MPa and 270 MPa respectively. All samples showed increase of plasticity with increase of reduction coefficient. Independently of reduction coefficient, the compressive strain of Al-5Cu alloys is about 60%. The Al-25Cu alloy with λ = 98 showed the value of compressive strain exceed 60%, although for this same alloy but with λ = 30, the compressive strain is only 35%.