Explosive welding technology is crucial for the production of large-area plates composed of materials with varying plastic and physical properties. Severe plastic deformation processes increase the mechanical strength of the plates by refining grains and increasing dislocation density. The aim of the research presented in this paper was to analyze the effect of Equal Channel Angular Pressing (ECAP) on the mechanical properties and microstructure of an Al/Cu (EN AW-1050/Cu-ETP) bimetallic plate produced by the explosive welding technology. The ECAP process was carried out at room temperature. The ECAP experiments consisted of 1-3 passes using a die with a channel angle of 90°. The ram speed was 40 mm/min. The study also considered various sample cutting orientations (longitudinal, transverse) and various positions of the bimetallic sample in the die entry channel. Rotating the sample by an angle of 180° between consecutive passes was also considered. To achieve the research objective, static tensile tests, Vickers hardness tests at a load of 4.9 N, and microstructural analysis of the samples using scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy were carried out. It was found that each subsequent pass in the ECAP process led to a gradual, severe change in the morphology of the Al/Cu interfacial transition layer. The orientation of the cutting plane of the samples was shown to have no effect on the hardness of the bimetallic material. Vickers hardness tests preceded by the ECAP process revealed a more uniform hardness distribution compared to the base material. The orientation of the Al/Cu plate layers in the ECAP die channel clearly influenced the character of the hardness distribution.

Department of Manufacturing Processes and Production Engineering Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics Rzeszów University of Technology al Powst Warszawy 8 35 959 Rzeszów Poland

Department of Materials Science and Engineering of Non Ferrous Metals Faculty of Non Ferrous Metals AGH University of Krakow al Adama Mickiewicza 30 30 059 Cracow Poland

Department of Metal Working and Physical Metallurgy of Non Ferrous Metals Faculty of Non Ferrous Metals AGH University of Krakow al Adama Mickiewicza 30 30 059 Cracow Poland

Explomet Gałka Szulc Spółka Komandytowa Oświęcimska 100 46 020 Opole Poland

Faculty of Mechanical Engineering VSB Technical University of Ostrava 17 listopadu 2172 15 708 00 Ostrava Poruba Czech Republic

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