Some observations of grain-boundary sliding in aluminium bicrystals tested at constant strain rate and constant rate of stress increase

Bicrystals of pure aluminium, aluminium/0.05 wt% and aluminium/0.30 wt% copper have been deformed in shear within the temperature range 350 to 600°C at a constant rate of grip displacement (300 m/h) and constant rates of increase of grain-boundary shear stress (0.30 to 1.04 g/mm^–2 min^–1). The stress/time, sliding/time and sliding/stress curves for these tests are presented together with metallographic observations. The stress/time curves exhibited changes in the strain-hardening rates which were accompanied by the occurrence of extensive crystal deformation. In many cases, following the change in strain-hardening rate and onset of extensive crystal slip, the extent of grain-boundary sliding was proportional to the shear stress on the boundary. The ratio of the extent of sliding to the grain-boundary shear stress increased with increasing test temperature. The temperature-dependence of the sliding behaviour, as reflected by the sliding/stress results, yielded apparent activation energies of 31 Kcal/mole in the temperature range 600 to 475°C and 8 Kcal/mole in the range 475 to 350°C.