Mechanical behavior of a 6061 Al alloy and an Al2O3/6061 Al composite after equal-channel angular processing

The tensile properties and stress-controlled fatigue behavior of an unreinforced 6061 Al alloy and an Al2O3/6061 Al composite were investigated at room temperature after processing by equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP) for eight passes at a temperature of 260 °C. The results show the tensile and fatigue strength of the Al2O3/6061 Al composite are significantly enhanced by ECAP while the elongation to failure is lower than before ECAP. For the unreinforced 6061 Al alloy, both the tensile and fatigue strength decrease after ECAP. The results are explained in terms of the different microstructures present in the two materials prior to ECAP.