Hot plastic behavior of an ultrafine-grained aluminum alloy fabricated by laser powder bed fusion and equal channel angular pressing

Abstract. This research presents the microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of a hypoeutectic AlSi11Cu alloy obtained through laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) subsequent severe plastic deformation. The as-built demonstrated structure formed by an Al matrix surrounded Si-enriched cellular network. Tensile tests indicated yield strength 350 MPa elongation to fracture lower than 5% for material. After subjecting deformation (SPD) using equal channel angular pressing (ECAP), superior such as almost twice high condition (12% compared 6%) tensile (320 MPa) were observed. ECAP produced average grain size reduction from 10 µm in state 1 after six passes. Microstructural analyses highlight particular refinement microstructure process, changing composed columnar grains heterogeneous characterized ultra-fine (grain sizes between 200 nm - 500 nm) elongated (grains 5 – µm). finding supposes huge improvement performance this breaking strength-ductility paradox. superplastic materials characterized, depending on variation temperature strain rate parameters. showed that behavior was favored low rates (here 0.001 s−1), increasing (400 °C). Thus, elongations exceeding 70% achieved with