The article presents tests results of the influence of deformation methods on the microstructure and properties of alloy WE43. There were direct extrusion tests and extrusion with KoBo method performed. An assessment of the influence of the methods of deformation on the microstructure and the mechanical properties of the achieved rods from alloy WE43 was conducted. There was an analysis of microstructure carried out with the use of light and scanning microscopy techniques in the initial state and after plastic deformation. Static tensile test was conducted in temperature of 350°C at a speed of 0.0001 m·s–1 and microhardness measurements were performed of HV0.2. On the basis of the achieved mechanical tests results it was stated that in the temperature of 350°C for samples deformed with the use of KoBo method there was an effect of superplastic flow found. The value of elongation achieved was 250% which was 3 times higher than in case of classic extrusion (80%).

Numerical simulations of the KOBO extrusion process are presented in this paper. The coupled thermomechanical Eulerian-Lagrangian approach was applied for the three-dimensional finite element model. The dynamic explicit Euler forward method was used in numerical calculations. The elastic-plastic Chaboche model assuming isotropic and kinematic hardening under variable temperature conditions was applied to describe the behaviour of the material under cyclic loading. In numerical computations Chaboche material model implemented in commercial software, as well as the proprietary one written as FORTRAN procedure were tested. The numerical results present the stress and strain distributions in the extruded material, as well as an increase of temperature due to the plastic work and friction. The shape of plastic strain zones was verified experimentally. The approach presented in the paper is a promising numerical tool to simulate the KOBO process.