Annealing of Al–Si alloys after equal-channel angular pressing

The annealing response after equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP) of three different Al–Si alloys has been investigated. The alloys were deformed at room temperature by ECAP up to four passes and the microstructural changes after deformation and annealing were studied by light and electron microscopy. The influence of ECAP strain, particle fractions, and annealing temperatures on microstructure and hardness evolutions of the ultra-fine grained materials was examined. High particle contents seemed to enhance recrystallization kinetics. Also, a change from continuous grain coarsening to discontinuous recrystallization occurred at about 200–250 °C.