Controlled grain size distribution and refinement of an EN AW-6082 aluminium alloy

An EN AW-6082 aluminium alloy was subjected to incremental deformation by a new process named gradation rolling. The process has been used to generate a grain size distribution in a rod-shaped billet. A grain size gradient ranging from coarse-grained in the billet core to ultrafine-grained at the surface of the billet can be obtained. The grain size distribution has been confirmed by electron back-scatter diffraction showing the grain refinement related to the true strain. The fibre texture of the base material has been transformed to a rolling texture in the surface region. This results in strain-hardening and grain-boundary strengthening in the surface region (130 HV0.5) as compared to the unchanged core material (110 HV0.5).