Strength and pore morphology of porous aluminum and porous copper with directional pores deformed by equal channel angular extrusion

Porous aluminum with a porosity of 17.6% and porous copper with a porosity of 39.7% (the pores of both aluminum and copper were cylindrical and oriented in one direction) were deformed by equal channel angular extrusion using a 150° die with sequential 180° rotations (route C), and the mechanical strength and pore morphology after the extrusions were investigated. In the case of porous aluminum with low porosity, the pores were collapsed by the extrusions that were both parallel and perpendicular to the orientation direction of the pores. In contrast, the porosity of porous copper decreased slightly after extrusions that were parallel to the orientation direction of the pores, and the pores thus remained even after four extrusions. The yield strength after the second extrusion was 7.3 times greater than it was before the extrusion, even though there was a decrease in porosity of only 8%. On the other hand, almost all the pores of the porous copper collapsed after the fourth extrusion, when the extrusion direction was perpendicular to the orientation direction of the pores. Thus, the yield stress cannot be enhanced without being accompanied by progressive densification.