Models for severe plastic deformation by equal-channel angular extrusion

Severe-plastic deformation processes are receiving increasing attention as methods to develop ultrafine-grain microstructures at the nanoscale. One such process, equal-channel angular extrusion (ECAE), offers the ability to manufacture bulk products from a wide range of metals and alloys. Despite the apparent simplicity of ECAE, however metal flow and texture evolution are complex. The application of process, crystal-plasticity, and workability models to describe deformation and the evolution of microstructure, texture, and defects during ECAE is summarized in this article. (Materials mentioned: 4340 steel; aluminum alloys; titanium; titanium alloys).