Effect of ECAP on microstructure and tensile properties of A390 aluminum alloy

The purpose of the present research is to determine the tensile strength and elongation of the A390 alloy processed by ECAP and to reveal the relationship between the microstructure and tensile properties. Optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) were used for microstructural analysis of the samples. The results of the mechanical testing showed that the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) increased from 142 MPa for the as-cast sample to 275 MPa for the sample after the third ECAP pass. Increasing the ECAP passes up to 4 led to a remarkable enhancement of elongation compared with the as-cast sample. It was found that the improvement of strength and ductility of A390 alloy with increasing the number of ECAP passes was attributed to the homogenous distribution of particles, reduction of particle size, and elimination of voids especially adjacent to the primary silicon particles. The results of fractography demonstrated that when the number of ECAP passes increased to 4, the uniform round dimples formed and the relatively brittle as-cast sample transformed to a ductile alloy.