Texture variations and mechanical properties of aluminum during severe plastic deformation and friction stir processing with SiC nanoparticles

Annealed 1050-aluminum sheets were severely deformed at the strain magnitude of 2.32 through constrained groove pressing (CGP) process. Texture variations and mechanical properties were investigated during CGP and subsequent friction stir processing (FSP) with different volume fractions of SiC nanoparticles. The results revealed that the predominant texture component in the annealed aluminum was {001}(100) cube texture. After CGP, deformed and shear texture components developed while the cube texture was partially remained. In the specimen undergone FSP without nanoparticles, {001}(110) rotated cube and nearly {001} (110) shear texture component C were mainly pronounced, which was indicative of shear deformation of material in the stir zone. Orientation distribution function analysis from the stir zone demonstrated variations in the texture development with the incorporation of SiC nanoparticles. An increase in the fraction of nanoparticles changed the grain orientation in such a way that the {001}(110) shear texture component C gradually developed from the rotated cube texture. However, the overall texture intensity became weaker by increasing the fraction of SiC nano particles due to the activation of particle stimulated nucleation mechanism forming randomly oriented grains. The incorporation of SiC nanoparticles in the stir zone also enhanced the yield strength, Young's modulus, and hardness of the stir zone without considerable reduction in the elongation. In such situation, Orowan strengthening was suggested as a dominant mechanism involved.