Effect of Equal-Channel Angular Pressing on the Structure and Mechanical Properties of the Al–6Ca–3Ce Alloy

The effect of equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP) on the structure and mechanical properties of experimental eutectic Al–6Ca–3Ce (wt %) alloy is studied. The ECAP of initial cast blanks is fulfilled under isothermal conditions at a temperature of 200°С using 4 passes and the B_C route of extruding. As a result of ECAP, both the strength and plasticity of the alloy are found to increase by 2 and 5 to 15 times, respectively. The anisotropy of properties is found, i.e., the strength in the transverse direction is lower by 5 to 15%, whereas the relative elongation is 3 times higher than those along the lengthwise direction. The achieved combination of properties is due to the formation of ultrafine structure characterized by low density of dislocation and the refinement of eutectic particles. The higher plasticity of samples in the transverse direction is due to the lower length of boundaries of eutectic particles retarding the movement of dislocations.