The equal channel angular extrusion process for materials processing

By the forcing of a bar of metal through a square tube of constant cross section that contains a sharp corner, simple shear is produced in the bar. Repeating the process several times results in a very large amount of strain. This paper describes the application of this technique to processing aluminum alloys for submicrometer grain size, deforming copper niobium alloy to increase the strength and extruding gamma titanium aluminide. The application of this process to materials for specific purposes is also discussed.