Analysis of plastic deformation behavior during back pressure equal channel angular pressing by the finite element method

•Back pressure ECAP was investigated using the finite element method.•The homogeneity of the workpiece was analyzed under various conditions.•The simulation results assist in optimum design of ECAP. It is generally known that equal channel angular pressing with back pressure (BP-ECAP) not only applies higher hydrostatic stress and more deformation compared to what a regular ECAP can apply to a workpiece, but also prevents surface defects in the workpiece during the processing. In this study, the plastic deformation behavior of the materials during the BP-ECAP process was investigated using the finite element method. The homogeneity within the workpiece was analyzed in terms of contours, path plot, and statistics of strain distribution under different conditions regarding back pressure, strain hardening, friction, and corner angle. The simulation results shed some lights on the optimum design of ECAP for homogeneous and large severe plastic deformation.