Effect of Accumulative Roll Bonding on Microstructure and Mechanical Behavior of Al6061

The influence of accumulative roll bonding (ARB) on the microstructural evolution, texture development and mechanical behavior of Al6061 aluminum alloy was investigated. Multiple rolling, cutting, and restacking cycles were used in the ARB, which leading to significant plastic deformation and microstructural refinement. The percentage of high-angle grain boundaries increased from 38 to 52%, while SEM analysis exhibited a considerable reduction in grain size from 90 microns in the parent material to 6.2 microns following ARB. Following ARB, texture intensity rose, according to texture analysis. A more refined and uniformly dispersed precipitate distribution following ARB was shown by more significant and less intense peaks in the X-ray diffraction examination, which also revealed changes in precipitate phases. The mechanical properties improved significantly as a result of the tensile tests; the yield strength increased from 192 to 229 MPa, the elongation increased from 19 to 28%, and the ultimate tensile strength increased from 285 to 313 MPa. A finer and more evenly distributed dimple morphology, suggestive of improved toughness and ductility, was seen on the fracture surface post-ARB by SEM tensile fracture analysis. Overall, the mechanical and microstructural qualities of the AA6061 alloy were greatly enhanced by ARB processing, which increased its suitability for high-strength and ductility applications.