Evolution of Crystallographic Texture During Equal Channel Angular Extrusion (ECAE) of (α+β) Brass

Abstract

Equal channel angular extrusion is now a well know process to generate ultra-fine grain microstructure in bulk materials. Since the material undergoes a large deformation, the process is also associated with evolution of characteristic texture. Most of the studies carried out on this subject aim at studying single phase materials. However, such a study is very relevant for two-phase materials owing to the possible enhancement of super-plastic properties. In the present work, a thorough investigation of evolution of microstructure and texture has been carried out to elucidate the deformation mechanisms and subsequent texture evolution in a model two-phase material, namely (alpha + beta) brass. A detailed analysis of texture evolution in both alpha and beta (B2) phases will be presented.