Mechanical properties at high temperature of an AA3003 after ECAP and Cold/Hot rolling

Mechanical properties of aluminium alloys can be considerably improved using severe plastic deformation techniques, due the induced dramatic grain refinement. In the present work an extruded AA3004 was severely deformed by Equal Channel Angular Pressing (ECAP) to reduce the grain size down to sub-micrometric scale. Route A was used and the alloy was deformed up to epsilon = 4.32 (4 passes). The ECAP alloy was then cold and hot rolled (CR and HR). Tensile tests were conducted at two temperatures (523 and 573K) at strain rates of 1.10(-2), 1.10(-3), and 1.10(-4) s(-1). The CR and HR tensile response, prior and after ECAP, were compared and discussed. The best mechanical response was obtained in the ECAP+CR and ECAP+HR at 573K. Conversely, the obtained good ductility was insensitive to the strain rate.