Crystallite Size and Lattice Strain Evolution in a Nanostructured 6063 T 1 Aluminum Alloy Processed by Equal Channel Angular Pressing
Equal Channel Angular Pressing (ECAP) is the most emblematic technique for producing bulk nanostructured materials and ultrafine grained materials (UFG) through severe plastic deformation. In this study, we examined a 6063 T1 aluminum alloy, subjected to ECAP processing at room temperature for one, three, six and nine passes respectively, using a 90deg die and the processing route BC. The as received and ECAP processed samples were firstly analyzed in OES experiments, the accumulated equivalent strain being also estimated based on ECAP die geometry and on the number of passes. All specimens were investigated as well in XRD tests for phase identification. Williamson Hall method was used for evaluating the crystallite size and the lattice strain. Some correlations with the main processing parameters were also established.