Numerical analysis of a new nonlinear twist extrusion process

Abstract

Severe plastic deformation (SPD) can produce ultrafine grained (UFG) and nanocrystalline (NC) materials by imposing intense plastic strain. One of the many options for inducing large plastic strains is to pass the material through a torsional/twist extrusion. The high-strength materials fabricated by SPD has no limit in dimension, and they can even be applied to load-carrying structural materials. Even though the method is quite successful, the industrial transfer has been limited so far because of low production efficiency and high cost. To remedy such difficulties, a new torsional extrusion process called nonlinear twist extrusion (NLTE) is introduced in this study, which has been designed based on two principles; (1) linear arrangement of the production line and (2) effective die geometry resulting in higher and more homogeneous plastic strain evolution which would give better grain refinement. The initial computational study of the designed geometry for the new extrusion process is addressed in the current study. The obtained results are discussed in detail with respect to conventional extrusion process, which is referred to as linear twist extrusion (LTE). The method is expected to offer a great potential for industrial use.