Effect of Combined Repetitive Corrugation and Straightening and Rolling on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Pure Aluminum

In this work, combined repetitive corrugation and straightening (RCS) and rolling were employed to enhance the mechanical properties of aluminum sheets by refining the grains. Pure aluminum was corrugated using a pair of flat grooved dies, followed by straightening, up to eight passes. After each corrugation and straightening, the specimens were subjected to cold rolling. The EBSD images of the combined RCS and rolled specimen showed considerable grain refinement compared to the RCSed samples. The mechanical properties such as hardness and tensile strength were studied, and the results showed that both the tensile strength and the hardness improved with respect to the number of passes. A considerable improvement in strength and hardness was obtained in the specimen which was processed through combined RCS and rolling.