Mechanical properties of the AlSi1MgMn aluminium alloy (AA6082) processed by gradation rolling

An outstanding approach for the tailoring of material properties is the grain refinement by the application of very high strains with changing strain path. Methods of severe plastic deformation (SPD) can create ultrafine‐grained or nanostructured metallic materials with new combinations of physical and mechanical properties. Classical severe plastic deformation methods focus typically on the uniform modification of the microstructure throughout the complete volume. In the present study the processing and subsequent characterisation of an age hardenable aluminium alloy subjected to a partial severe plastic deformation is presented. The new technology, referred to as gradation rolling, is applied for the efficient manufacturing of rod shaped parts with locally different grain sizes. After the presentation of the process principle [1], the characterization of the microstructure [2] and the identification of deformation routes during processing [3] the first mechanical characterization of a wrought aluminium alloy is presented. The resulting mechanical properties in different regions of a graded material are analyzed by hardness measurements and tensile tests. The mechanical properties of the graded billets show the typical characteristics of coarse grained material in the core region and that of severely deformed material in the kneaded region at the surface of the billets.