Dynamic deformation and fracture behavior of ultra-fine- grained pure coppers fabricated by equal channel angular pressing

This study aims at investigating dynamic torsional deformation behavior of ultra-fine-grained oxygen-free coppers fabricated by equal channel angular pressing (ECAP). Dynamic torsional tests were conducted on four copper specimens using a torsional Kolsky bar. The 1-pass ECAP'ed specimen consisted of fine dislocation cell structures elongated along the ECAP direction, which were changed to very fine, equiaxed subgrains of 300~400 nm in size as the pass number increased. The dynamic torsional test results indicated that maximum shear stress increased with increasing ECAP pass number. Adiabatic shear bands were not found at the gage center of the dynamically deformed torsional specimen of the 1- or 4-pass ECAP'ed specimen, while some weak bands were observed in the 8-pass ECAP'ed specimen. These findings suggested that the grain refinement according to the ECAP was very effective in strengthening of oxygen-free coppers, and that ECAP'ed coppers could be used without serious reduction in fracture resistance under dynamic torsional loading as adiabatic shear bands were hardly formed.