Microstructure-Based Estimation of Strength and Ductility Distributions for $$\alpha +\beta $$ Titanium Alloys

Titanium alloys are processed to develop a wide range of microstructure configurations and therefore material properties. While these properties are typically measured experimentally, a framework for property prediction could greatly enhance alloy design and manufacturing. Here a microstructure-sensitive framework is presented for the prediction of strength and ductility as well as estimates of the bounds in variability for these properties. The framework explicitly considers distributions of microstructure via new approaches for instantiation of structure in synthetic samples. The parametric evaluation strategy, including the finite element simulation package FEpX, is used to create and test virtual polycrystalline samples to evaluate the variability bounds of mechanical properties in Ti-6Al-4V. Critical parameters for the property evaluation framework are provided by measurements of single crystal properties and advanced characterization of microstructure and slip system strengths in 2D and 3D. Property distributions for yield strength and ductility are presented, along with the validation and verification steps undertaken. Comparisons between strain localization and slip activity in virtual samples and in experimental grain-scale strain measurements are also discussed.

     

The influence of microstructure on the shock and spall behaviour of the magnesium alloy,Elektron 675

Alloying elements such as aluminium, zinc and rare earth metals allow precipitation hardening of magnesium (Mg). The low densities of such strengthened Mg alloys have led to their adoption as aerospace materials and (more recently) they are being considered as armour materials. Consequently, understanding their response to high strain-rate loading is becoming increasingly important. Here, the plate-impact technique was employed to measure stress evolution in an armour-grade wrought Mg alloy (Elektron 675) under one-dimensional shock loading. The effects of sample orientation and heat treatment were examined. The spall behaviour was interrogated using a heterodyne velocimeter system, with an estimate made of the material’s spall strength and Hugoniot elastic limit (HEL) for both aged and unaged materials. In particular, it is shown that the HEL and spall strength values are higher along the extrusion direction. It is thought that this is caused by striations of relatively small grains that run along the extrusion direction.