Equal-channel angular sheet extrusion of interstitial-free (IF) steel: Microstructural evolution and mechanical properties

Interstitial-free steel (IF-steel) sheets were processed at room temperature using a continuous severe plastic deformation (SPD) technique called equal-channel angular sheet extrusion (ECASE). After processing, the microstructural evolution and mechanical properties have been systematically investigated. To be able to directly compare the results with those from the same material processed using discontinuous equal channel angular extrusion, the sheets were ECASE processed up to eight passes. The microstructural investigations revealed that the processed sheets exhibited a dislocation cell and/or subgrain structures with mostly low angle grain boundaries. The grains after processing have relatively high dislocation density and intense micro-shear band formation. The electron backscattering diffraction (EBSD) examination showed that the processed microstructure is not fully homogeneous along the sheet thickness due probably to the corner angle of 120 degrees in the ECASE die. It was also observed that the strengths of the processed sheets increase with the number of ECASE passes, and after eight passes following route-A and route-C, the yield strengths reach 463 MPa and 459 MPa, respectively, which is almost 2.5 times higher than that of the initial material. However, the tensile ductility considerably dropped after the ECASE. The limited ductility was attributed to the early plastic instability in the tensile samples due to the inhomogeneous microstructure. The specimen orientation with respect to the ECASE direction did not have a considerable effect on the stress-strain response. Appropriate low temperature annealing of ECASE-processed IF-steel resulted in a good strength-ductility balance. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.