The effect of ECAP and Cu addition on the aging response and grain substructure evolution in an Al–4.4 wt.% Mg alloy

The effect of ECAP conducted at 200 °C on the grain substructure evolution in an AA5182 alloy and the same alloy with 1.2 wt.% Cu addition was investigated. Severe plastic deformation was found to accelerate the precipitation kinetics in the AA5182 + Cu alloy, leading to the formation of a fine dispersion of the stable S phase precipitates. These particles homogenized slip, causing a delay of the band/cell substructure formation in the AA5182 + Cu alloy compared to the AA5182 alloy processed in the same manner. Aside from the conventional particle hardening effect, the precipitates also play a role in retarding the recovery and recrystallization processes, retaining the effects of strain in the material after ECAP at elevated temperature.