Another reason for plasticity enhancement of cold-deformed aluminium alloy induced by electric pulse treatment

The plasticity improvement of cold-deformed metal by electric pulse treatment (EPT) is generally attributed to the promotion of recovery or recrystallization. This paper found that EPT improves the plasticity of the cold-deformed 6111 aluminium alloy more than heat treatment when the induced microstructure recovery is similar. The reduction of inner micro-pores is another mechanism for EPT to improve the plasticity of the alloy besides the recovery factor. The confinement effect of the fixed electrodes is another main reason for EPT to reduce the micro-pores in the alloy besides the existing micro mechanisms.