This method is used to obtain high-density nanostructured materials with high morphological homogeneity of the grain from massive plastically deformable billets. The shear deformation of the specimen occurs when crossing the area of contact between the channels (see Fig. 1). The repeated iterations of the ECAP procedure produce a systematic increase of deformation, leading to a successive decrease in grain size by means of forming a grid of first low-angle and then high-angle boundaries. This feature enables the severe plastic deformation of not only plastic, but also difficult-to-deform metals and alloys. The channels intersection angle of the mould is of great importance. ECAP can be used to control the crystallographic texture of structural bulk nanostructured materials.

Reduction of the processed metals and alloys to the submicron grain size can lead to significant improvements in their mechanical properties, in particular increasing the materials' tensile strength and yield strength, as well as giving them superplastic capability, which is of great interest to the modern aerospace industry.