In the present century aluminium alloys have become more important due to the effects of the

environment and the gradual reduction in the amount of available energyAluminium alloys
being a non ferrous material plays a crucial role in various engineering apllications especially
in aerospace applications.They poesses light weight properties as well as excellent corrosion
resistance and other mechanical properties.Various research works are being carried out to
increase the strength of these aluminium alloys.Recent research works have found that the
mechanical and functional properties of these alloys can be increased by grain refinement
processes.Among the grain refinement processes,Severe plastic deformation(SPD) process
provided attractive and satisfactory results to researches in enhancing the mechanical
properties.Out of different SPD processes such as such as accumulative rollbonding (ARB),
high- pressure torsion (HPT),and equal channel angular pressing (ECAP),ECAP potentially
seems to be the most useful process.
Severe plastic deformation(SPD) is a process which results in reduction in grain size of the
specimen thereby increasing its strength. The processed material tends to show ultra-fine
grained materials.Grain refinement/inoculation provides refined grains which can be used for
cryogenic applications. ECAE is one of the SPD practice to impart severe strain by simple
shear achieved by passing the material through a ECAE die with reduction in the cross
sectional area of the sample and inducing homogeneity[1].Large amount of shear strain is
obtained without any change in the dimension of the specimen[].The properties that are
obtained through ECAP route are:1)Improved density 2)high tensile steength and ductility
3)possibility of super plasticity at low temperatures[].ECAP process generally involves the
processing of workpiece through die containing two channels of equal cross-section
intersection at an angle 2 known as the channel angle.The strain imparted depends on
1)channel angle 2)angle of curvature 3)process route followed. EFFECT OF CHANNEL
ANGLE (Ф) AND CORNER ANGLE ()

The selection of the channel angle (Ф) and the corner angle () is very important while
designing the equal channel angular extrusion/pressing die. Die angles Ф and  can defined
as the angle between the two intersecting channels and the curvature of the outer arc of the
two channels.Strain has little dependency on corner angle () and more on channel angle (Ф)
.It takes more passes for obtaining the same strain value in case of specimen with more
channel angle value than when compared to the specimen with less channel angle.It is evident
from the experiments the specimen is capable of producing ultra fined refined grains when
the channel angle is less than 900.But specimens which lower channel angles are generally not
preferred since they are difficult in processing thorugh ECAP route using definite
pressure.Strain in 900 is more but more inhomogenity and the strain obtained is less in 1200
channel angle with less grain refinement.Experiments have shown that optimum channel
angle is 1050 because of the factors like strain hardening,homogenity and grain
refinement.Figure() shows the variation of inhomogenity index as function of channel
angle(degrees)[].It can be seen from the graph that as the channel angle increases, the
inhomogenity index decreases.
When the materials are subjected to ECAP route ,only shear deformation of the material takes
place.The average plastic strain decreases inspite of increases strain above 40 corner
agle.Therefore it is better to have corner angles that are less than 400 to impart high strain to
materials[].

Raghuraman.S et al.performed an experiment on influence of channel angle on deformation

behaviour for AA6061-T6 through analysis in deform 3D for different channel angles-900,
1100, 1200.The die models are considered to be rigid and homogenous.Isotropic,homogenous
and plastic frictionless conditions are considered for the material.It has been observed from
the results that as the channel angle decreases ,the load required for processing the specimen
increases and the effective strain developed to induced stress increases.Figure() show the 3D
models of the die design.

The maximum load is observed at 900 channel angle(18*10^4N) and the least at 1200 channel
angle(0.226*10^4N).
Figure() shows the variation of channel angle as function of time plot.It can be observed that
as the channel angle decreases in value,the load increases.

The effect of channel angle and corner angle is given by segal et al.,[]

From the equation ,it is observed that the imparted strain in the specimen increases with
decrease in channel angle.Greater strain homogeneity is obtained in an angle closer to angle
90 compared to all other channel angle while keeping the corner angle as 90[].

EFFECT OF PROCESSING ROUTES

There are generally four routes through which the ECAP processes are being carried out-
route A,route C,route BA,route BC.In route A,there is no change in the angle orientation of the
specimen.The material is passes similar to the previous pass.In route BA,the billet is rotated
900 clockwise and anticlockwise alternaticely.In route BC,the billet is rotated 900 cloclwise
after each successive passes.In route c ,the billet is rotated 1800 in consequtive passes[].
Ferrase et al. carried out investigations of processing route on microstructure after ECAP.It
has been observed from the investigation that when the specimen is processed through C
route,more homogenous and equiaxed grain structures are observed than when compared to
route A or B[].Evolution of the desired microstructure can be achieved more rapidly using
processing route BC[]. Hardness for samples processed out of route C is higher than that
obtained through route A[].

Gubicza et al. performed an experiment on processing of ECAP on Al6082 material through

route A.With the increase of the dislocation density and decrease in grain size,they observed
an increase of the yield stress of the alloy.Tomas et al.performed an experiment on
commercial 6082 aluminium alloy at predescribed conditions through route BC for a channel
angle of 1200 at an elevated temperature of 1500

EFFECT OF NO OF PASSES

According to Iwahashi’s equivalent strain equation,the strain obtained thorough ECAP route
is directly propotional to the no of repetitive pressings.Significant decrease in grain size is
observed after single pass of the specimen and contant or slight decrease in sizes after
subsequent passes.The no of passes influences the homogenity.They tend to increase the yield
strength and hardness.Also the percentage elongation and grain size tends to reduce.

Saravanan et al.performed an experiment on ECAP processing of pure

aluminium(99.5%).For 8 passes ,pure aluminium produces ultrafine grain structure of about
620nm.They observed a decrease in hardness values for the seventh and eight pass despite an
increase in hardness for the first six passes.They have concluded that as the number of passes
increases,the ultimate equilibrium grain size becomes fines with decreasing purity.Vedani et
al.performed an experiment on annealed AA6082 alloy processed through route BC and C.Out
of the two processes,route C showed satisfactory results while shear crack was obtained for
route BC.