Microstructure of ECAP severely deformed iron and its mechanical properties

Abstract The aim of this study was to characterize the microstructure and properties of iron after severe plastic deformation (SPD) (elog=10) via the equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) method. The qualitative and quantitative description of the microstructure was obtained, using stereology and image analysis. The mechanical properties of the material were measured on the nano-, micro- and macro-scales. The results show that the ECA method applied to iron gives it a nano-crystalline structure. This was accompanied by a significant increase in the strength of the material. The experiments revealed structural in-homogeneities, on the micro- and macro-scale, which influence the mechanical properties of the nano-iron obtained by ECAP.