Influence of the Dual Rolls Equal Channel Extrusion (DRECE) Process on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Pure Copper

Krzysztof Wiśniewski, Małgorzata Musztyfaga-Staszuk, Wojciech Głuchowski, Stanislav Rusz, Marek Łagoda, Zbigniew Rdzawski, Klaudiusz Gołombek and Radek Čada

DOI: https://doi.org/10.64486/m.66.2.1
Online publication date: July 16, 2026

Abstract: The paper presents the research results on the influence of the parameters of the Dual Rolls Equal Channel Extrusion (DRECE) process on the microstructure and mechanical properties of pure copper. The research was conducted for two variants of the DRECE channel geometry – with extrusion angles of 103° and 98°. Mi-crostructure observations were performed using optical and electron microscopy with backscattered electron diffraction (EBSD). Mechanical properties were deter-mined based on Vickers hardness measurements and tensile tests. The results showed that intense changes in mechanical properties occurred during the first DRECE pass, while subsequent passes led to further moderate strengthening. The values of yield strength (YS) and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) for both DRECE angles were characterized by low anisotropy. The results of the mechanical property tests indicate that, for pure copper, a lower extrusion angle provides higher ductility at comparable YS and UTS values. EBSD analysis showed noticeable microstructure segmentation and an increase in the proportion of fine grains. IPF maps showed a varied crystallographic orientation after DRECE, with no tendency to form a distinct texture direction.

Keywords: DRECE; copper; SPD; EBSD

This article is published online first and will appear in Metalurgija, Vol. 66, Issue 2 (2027).