This paper investigates the microstructural evolution and grain refinement kinetics of a solution-treated Cu–0.1Cr–0.06Zr alloy during equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) at a temperature of 673 K via route BC. The microstructural change during plastic deformation was accompanied by the formation of the microband and an increase in the misorientations of strain-induced subboundaries. We argue that continuous dynamic recrystallization refined the initially coarse grains, and discuss the dynamic recrystallization kinetics in terms of grain/subgrain boundary triple junction evolution. A modified Johnson–Mehl–Avrami–Kolmogorov relationship with a strain exponent of about 1.49 is used to express the strain dependence of the triple junctions of high-angle boundaries. Severe plastic deformation by ECAP led to substantial strengthening of the Cu–0.1Cr–0.06Zr alloy. The yield strength increased from 60 MPa in the initial state to 445 MPa after a total strain level of 12.

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The incubation time criterion for dynamic fracture is applied to simulate dynamic crack propagation. Being incorporated into ANSYS finite element package, this criterion is used to simulate the classical dynamic fracture experiments of Ravi-Chandar and Knauss on dynamic crack propagation in Homalite-100. In these experiments a plate with a cut simulating the crack was loaded by an intense pressure pulse applied on the faces of the cut. The load consisted of two consequent trapezoidal pulses. This, in the experimental conditions used by Ravi-Chandar and Knauss, resulted in a crack initiation, propagation, arrest and reinitiation. Dependence of the crack length on time was measured in those experiments. The results for crack propagation obtained by FEM modelling are in agreement with experimental measurements of crack length histories. This result shows the applicability of the incubation time approach to describe the initiation, propagation and arrest of dynamically loaded cracks.

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A problem for a central crack in a plate subjected to plane strain conditions is investigated. Mode I crack loading is created by a dynamic pressure pulse applied at large distance from the crack. It was found that for a certain combination of amplitude and duration of the pulse applied, energy transmitted to the sample has a strongly marked minimum, meaning that with the pulse amplitude or duration moving away from the optimal values minimum energy required for initiation of crack growth increases rapidly. Results received indicate a possibility to optimize energy consumption of different industrial processes connected with fracture. Much could be gained in for example drilling or rock pounding where energy input accounts for the largest part of the process cost. Presumably further investigation of the effect observed can make it possible to predict optimal energy saving parameters, i.e., frequency and amplitude of impacts, for industrial devices, e.g., bores, grinding machines, etc. and hence significantly reduce the process cost. The prediction can be given based on the parameters of the media fractured (material parameters, prevalent crack length and orientation, etc.).