High strain rate superplasticity of hot extruded and hot rolled AA 6013/20 vol.-%SiCp composite

Abstract

High strain rate superplasticity(HSRS)of an AA 6013/20SiC_pcomposite, produced by powder metallurgy and then hot extruded or hotrolled, was evaluated by means of tensile tests carried out over a range of initial strain rates from 1 × 102 to 3.8 × 10^-1 s^-1 and temperatures from 520 to 590 ° C. A maximum elongation to failure of 370% was achieved in a hot rolled composite deformed at 1 × 10^-1 s^-1 and 560 ° C. Substantially lower elongations were achieved in hot extruded composites, with a maximumof200% at1 × 10^-2 s ^-1 and 580 ° C. The lower elongations in the hot extruded composite could be related to the large quantity of intermetallic compounds, shown by TEM analyses, which probably hinder large superplastic elongations. In both hot extruded and hot rolled composite, the flow stress was strongly dependenton temperature and strain rate; a steady state flow stress region was observed in the specimen that exhibited the maximum elongation to failure. The strain rate sensitivity index m reached a maximum ofabout 0.4 for the hot rolled composite, and about 0.35 for the hot extruded composite. Analyses of the fracture surfaces of hot rolled composite deformed at the maximum elongation, were characterised by the presence of many filaments or 'whiskers', which are generally considered as evidence of a liquid phase present at grain boundaries or interfaces.