INFLUENCE OF DIE ANGLES ON THE MICROHARDNESS OF ALUMINUM ALLOY PROCESSED BY EQUAL CHANNEL ANGULAR PRESSING

 The die geometry has a massive effect on the plastic deformation behavior during pressing of material processed by equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) method; subsequently the properties of the processed material are strongly dependent on it. Two categories of designed and manufactured dies are used for equal channel angular pressing, a 1200 sharp angle and a 900 round –cornered (200) dies, that produce strain per pass through both dies of ~0.7 and ~1.05   respectively. The microhardness developed in Al-Si alloy during ECAP using route BC. The microhardness increased by a factor of >1.5, after only 1 pressing. Subsequently, the hardness increases slightly up to 8 pressings through the 1200 sharp angle die, while it is increased by a factor of ~2.6 after 5 passes by using the 900 round cornered die, comparing with that for the cast workpiece.