Influence of deformation path on the strain hardening behavior and microstructure evolution in low SFE FCC metals

Following our recent studies of the influence of mechanical twinning on the strain hardening of low SFE FCC metals deformed by simple compression, the investigation was extended to two different deformation modes. These were plane strain compression and simple shear carried out on 70/30 brass, which exhibits only strain hardening, and on MP35N, a Co–Ni based alloy that also shows secondary hardening by deformation promoted precipitation. It was found that the magnitude of the primary strain hardening in both alloys, and the secondary hardening in MP35N, was dramatically reduced under simple shear compared to the other deformation paths. This reduced hardening in simple shear appears to be a consequence of the bulk of the deformation twins, and also the secondary hardening precipitates, forming on planes that were parallel to the primary {111} slip planes in this deformation path. These hypotheses are supported by deformation path change tests in which the shear samples that show low flow stress under continued shear, when subjected to simple compression showed a significant increase (jump) in the flow stress, reaching values that are similar to those of the alloy continuously compressed to the same equivalent strain. That is, the reduced strain hardening in shear deformation is due not to reduced twinning, but to the twins produced by shear providing only limited barriers to continued strain by simple shear. Shear banding was found to be more marked in plane strain compression than in simple compression after cold working, and particularly after the additional secondary hardening in MP35N.     

Cyclic stress-strain behaviour of alloy AA6060 T4, part II: Biaxial experiments and modelling

Laboratory tests have been conducted to investigate the inelastic behaviour of aluminium alloy AA6060 T4 subjected to non-proportional cyclic loading. The results of four tests with variable strain path shapes and strain amplitudes are reported in this paper. The tests were carried out by applying combined axial force and torque to thin-walled tubular specimens, using effective strain amplitudes in the range 0.4–0.8%. Major emphasis has been put on the two important material properties: plastic anisotropy and influence of strain range and strain path shapes on cyclic hardening. A constitutive model for cyclic plasticity is used to predict the stress response of the alloy for the non-proportional strain paths applied in the experiments. The model adopts a quadratic yield function and multi-component non-linear isotropic and kinematic hardening rules to describe plastic anisotropy, the shape of the hysteresis loops and the evolution of cyclic hardening. Good agreement is obtained between the physical and correlated stress response of the alloy.     

Cyclic stress-strain behaviour of alloy AA6060, part I: Uniaxial experiments and modelling

An experimental and numerical study of the uniaxial cyclic behaviour of the aluminium alloy AA6060 in tempers T4 and T6 is reported. Material characteristics studied through the experimental programme are the monotonic stress-strain curve, the shape of the hysteresis loops, cyclic hardening and softening, mean stress relaxation and memorization of prior strain histories. A model of cyclic plasticity, proposed in the literature, is used to simulate the physical behaviour of the alloy in temper T4. The model utilizes multi-component forms of kinematic and isotropic hardening variables with non-linear evolutionary rules to describe the hysteresis loops and the transient behaviour of the material. The evolution of the Bauschinger effect and the memory of prior strain histories are properly modelled through additional internal variables. Tests and simulations are compared for temper T4, and good agreement is obtained between physical and correlated behaviour.     

An experimental study of inhomogeneous cyclic plastic deformation of 1045 steel under multiaxial cyclic loading

An experimental study was conducted on the inhomogeneous cyclic plastic deformation of 1045 steel under multiaxial cyclic loading. Thin-walled tubular specimens were used and small strain gages were bonded on the specimen surface to characterize the local deformation. The controlled loading paths included cyclic tension–compression, cyclic torsion, proportional axial-torsion, 90°-out-of-phase axial-torsion, and fully reversed torsion with a constant axial stress. The maximum stress in each experiment was lower than the lower yield stress of the material. It was found that the cyclic plastic deformation within the gage section of the specimen under multiaxial stress state followed the three-stage process that was observed from uniaxial loading, namely, incubation, propagation, and saturation. The plastic deformation was significantly inhomogeneous during the propagation stage, and the inhomogeneity continued through the saturation stage. The duration of each stage and the saturated strains were dependent on the cyclic stress amplitude and the loading path. Multiaxial stress state reduced the incubation stage. With identical equivalent stress magnitude, the nonproportional loading path resulted in the shortest incubation and propagation stages, and the saturated equivalent plastic strain magnitude was the smallest. Although the deformation over the gage section was inhomogeneous, the plastic deformation in a given local area was found to be practically isotropic.     

Complex investigation of deformation twinning in γ-TiAl by TEM and neutron diffraction

A near-γ TiAl based alloy with 2 at% of Nb was investigated by means of collaborative research based on transmission electron microscopy and in-situ neutron diffraction techniques with the aim to study mechanical twinning and its role within the mechanisms governing fatigue response and material properties. In-situ neutron diffraction measurements were performed during low cycle fatigue straining at room temperature. Induced lattice strain related to the formation of deformation twins was detected and used to follow changes in the macroscopic material response caused by the twinning process during cycling. A microscopic insight was realised by using several transmission electron microscopy techniques to reveal in detail an internal deformation microstructure of the material at the beginning as well as at the end of the fatigue life. The study was focused on the first loading cycles where the material shows intense cyclic hardening. The effect of mechanical twinning on the material behaviour at several stages of the fatigue life is discussed for two different total strain amplitudes of 0.2% and 0.4%.     

Hardening evolution of AZ31B Mg sheet

The monotonic and cyclic mechanical behavior of O-temper AZ31B Mg sheet was measured in large-strain tension/compression and simple shear. Metallography, acoustic emission (AE), and texture measurements revealed twinning during in-plane compression and untwinning upon subsequent tension, producing asymmetric yield and hardening evolution. A working model of deformation mechanisms consistent with the results and with the literature was constructed on the basis of predominantly basal slip for initial tension, twinning for initial compression, and untwinning for tension following compression. The activation stress for twinning is larger than that for untwinning, presumably because of the need for nucleation. Increased accumulated hardening increases the twin nucleation stress, but has little effect on the untwinning stress. Multiple-cycle deformation tends to saturate, with larger strain cycles saturating more slowly. A novel analysis based on saturated cycling was used to estimate the relative magnitude of hardening effects related to twinning. For a 4% strain range, the obstacle strength of twins to slip is 3 MPa, approximately 1/3 the magnitude of textural hardening caused by twin formation (10 MPa). The difference in activation stress of twinning versus untwinning (11 MPa) is of the same magnitude as textural hardening.     

Multiaxial cyclic deformation and non-proportional hardening employing discriminating load paths

Some novel discriminating multiaxial cyclic strain paths with incremental and random sequences were used to investigate cyclic deformation behavior of materials with low and high sensitivity to non-proportional loadings. Tubular specimens made of 1050 QT steel with no non-proportional hardening and 304L stainless steel with significant non-proportional hardening were used. 1050 QT steel was found to exhibit very similar behavior under various multiaxial loading paths, whereas significant effects of loading sequence were observed for 304L stainless steel. In-phase cycles with a random sequence of axial-torsion cycles on an equivalent strain circle were found to cause cyclic hardening levels similar to 90° out-of-phase loading of 304L stainless steel. In contrast, straining with a small increment of axial-torsion on an equivalent strain circle results in higher stress than for in-phase loading of 304L stainless steel, but the level of hardening is lower than for 90° out-of-phase loading. Tanaka’s non-proportionality parameter coupled with a Armstrong–Fredrick incremental plasticity model, and Kanazawa et al.’s empirical formulation as a representative of such empirical models were used to predict the stabilized stress response of the two materials under variable amplitude axial-torsion strain paths. Consistent results between experimental observations and predictions were obtained by employing the Tanaka’s non-proportionality parameter. In contrast, the empirical model resulted in significant over-prediction of stresses for 304L stainless steel.     

室温下镁合金板循环塑性随动强化本构模型研究

本文在具有各向异性屈服强度和拉压不对称的CPB06屈服准则的基础上,建立了基于随动强化的循环塑性本构模型．通过引入滑移、孪晶以及去孪等不同变形模式下的背应力演化方程,对室温下镁合金板材异常循环硬化行为进行了模拟．选取了AZ31B-O和AZ31B两种镁合金板材,通过拉伸-压缩-拉伸(T-C-T)和压缩-拉伸(C-T)等不同加载路径下的部分实验曲线确定模型的参数,采用三次插值多项式建立了背应力参数与上一变形模式中累积的等效塑性应变（即预应变）之间的函数关系．使用本模型对剩下的实验曲线进行了预测,发现预测结果与实验结果有良好的一致性,说明了当前模型的正确性．     

Constitutive modeling for anisotropic/asymmetric hardening behavior of magnesium alloy sheets

Magnesium alloy sheets have been extending their field of applications to automotive and electronic industries taking advantage of their excellent light weight property. In addition to well-known lower formability, magnesium alloys have unique mechanical properties which have not been thoroughly studied: high in-plane anisotropy/asymmetry of yield stress and hardening response. The reason of the unusual mechanical behavior of magnesium alloys has been understood by the limited symmetry crystal structure of HCP metals and thus by deformation twinning. In this paper, the phenomenological continuum plasticity models considering the unusual plastic behavior of magnesium alloy sheet were developed for a finite element analysis. A hardening law based on two-surface model was further extended to consider the general stress–strain response of metal sheets including Bauschinger effect, transient behavior and the unusual asymmetry. Three deformation modes observed during the continuous in-plane tension/compression tests were mathematically formulated with simplified relations between the state of deformation and their histories. In terms of the anisotropy and asymmetry of the initial yield stress, the Drucker–Prager’s pressure dependent yield surface was modified to include the anisotropy of magnesium alloy. The numerical formulations and characterization procedures were also presented and finally the correlation of simulation with measurements was performed to validate the proposed theory.     

Anisotropic Hardening of Sheet Metals at Elevated Temperature: Tension-Compressions Test Development and Validation

New test equipment has been developed to measure the in-plane cyclic behavior of sheet metals at elevated temperatures. The tester has clamping dies with adjustable side force to prevent the sheet specimens from buckling during compressive loading. In addition to the room temperature experiment, cartridge type heaters are inserted in the clamping dies so that the specimen can be heated up to 400 °C during the cyclic tests. For the strain measurement, a non-contact type laser extensometer is used. In order to validate the newly developed test device, the tension-compression (and compression-tension) tests under pre-strains and various temperatures have been performed. As model materials, the aluminum alloy sheet which exhibits a large Bauschinger effect and the magnesium alloy sheet which exhibits different amounts of asymmetry under cyclic loading are used. The developed device can be well-suited to measure the cyclic material behavior, especially the anisotropic and asymmetric hardening of light-weight materials.     

复杂加载下混凝土的弹塑性本构模型

混凝土材料在不同应力路径下或复杂加载条件下会表现出差异性显著的应力应变关系,在小幅循环加载条件下,其应力应变关系会表现出类似于弹性变形的滞回曲线.在不同应力水平下,混凝土的应力应变关系以及破坏特性都具有静水压力相关特点,即随着静水压力增大,各向异性强度特性弱化.此外,混凝土受压及受拉破坏机理不同,因而对应于混凝土硬化损伤亦有不同,即可分为受压硬化损伤,受拉硬化损伤及两者的混合硬化损伤类型.基于Hsieh模型,对该模型进行了三点改进.（1）针对小幅循环加载下混凝土无塑性变形的试验规律,而模型中在应力水平较低的循环加载条件下始终存在塑性变形的预测问题,采用在边界面模型框架下,设置了应力空间的弹性域,初始屈服面与后续临界状态屈服面几何相似的假定.（2）基于广义非线性强度准则将原模型采用变换应力方法将其推广为三维弹塑性本构模型,采用变换后模型可合理的考虑不同应力路径对于子午面以及偏平面上静水压力效应形成的影响,并避免了边界面应力点奇异问题.（3）分别对拉压两种加载损伤模式建议了相应的硬化参数表达式,可分别用于描述上述加载中产生的应变软化及强度退化行为.基于多种加载路径模拟表明:所建立的三维弹塑性本构模型可合理地用于描述混凝土的一般应力应变关系特性.      

大应变率范围内AM80镁合金的变形行为及组织演变

采用INSTRON准静态压缩试验机和分离式霍普金森压杆装置，研究固溶态AM80镁合金在室温准静态和冲击载荷下的变形行为及组织演变。准静态载荷下，流变应力随应变率（3×10-5~4×10-1 s-1）的升高逐渐降低，表现为负应变率敏感性；冲击载荷下，流变应力随应变率（7.00×102~5.20×103 s-1）的升高而升高，呈现出明显的正应变率敏感性。冲击载荷下AM80镁合金的变形机制以基面滑移和孪生为主，大量细小致密的形变孪生以及适量非基面滑移的启动是AM80镁合金在冲击载荷下流变应力明显高于准静态载荷的重要原因。此外，随应变率的升高，AM80镁合金变形的均匀性明显增强，当应变速率升至3.65×103 s-1时，冲击变形所引起的局部绝热温升软化大于应变硬化与应变速率硬化的总和，部分晶粒产生了明显的动态回复，使得孪晶密度和变形均匀性反而降低。     

Four-Point Bending Test of Determining Stress-Strain Curves Asymmetric between Tension and Compression

A method of determining both uniaxial tension and compression stress-strain curves from the result of a single four-point bending test was demonstrated. Stress-strain curves of magnesium showing tension-compression asymmetry due to twinning deformation and those of an S45C steel due to the Bauschinger effect were calculated. The Mayville-Finnie equation was modified slightly for this calculation. The calculation is sensitive to small change in the slope of bending curve, revealing an aspect of inverse problem.     

Lüders bands propagation of 1045 steel under multiaxial stress state

Inhomogeneous plastic deformation of 1045 steel under monotonic loading was experimentally studied. Thin-walled tubular specimens were used in the experiments and custom-made small strain gages were bonded on the specimen surface to characterize the local deformation. Experiments were conducted under tension, torsion, and combined tension–torsion. During the propagation of Lüders bands, the local deformation experienced two-stage deformation: an abrupt plastic deformation stage followed by a slower deformation process. In some area of the gage section of the specimen, a small amount of initial plastic deformation occurred before the Lüders front reached. During the propagation of Lüders bands, multiple Lüders fronts can be formed. Under tension, torsion, and combined tension–torsion with a constant axial load, the Lüders front was approximately parallel to the material plane of maximum shear stress. When the combined axial-torsion followed a proportional fashion, the stress–extensometer strain responses were dependent on the axial/torsional loading ratio, and the Lüders fronts were oriented differently and propagated along the specimen axis at a different velocity. The local strain was inhomogeneous even at the work-hardening stage. The relationships between the equivalent stress and the equivalent plastic strain were found to be practically identical for all the loading cases studied.     

不同加载状态下TA2钛合金绝热剪切破坏响应特性

一般认为绝热剪切现象在宏观上表现为材料动态本构失稳,即热软化大于应变硬化.本文采用帽型受迫剪切试样研究TA2钛合金的动态力学特性和本构失稳过程.首先对剪切区加载应力状态进行理论和数值分析,通过合理设计帽型试样,剪切区变形可近似按剪切状态处理;结合二维数字图像相关法(two-dimensional digital image correlation,DIC-2D)直接测试试样剪切区应变演化,给出帽型受迫剪切实验的等效应力-应变响应曲线.进一步,利用Hopkinson压杆对TA2钛合金开展动态压缩及帽型剪切对比试验研究,比较压缩、剪切试验得到的等效应力-应变曲线,采用"冻结"试样方法分析试样中绝热剪切局域化演化过程,探讨不同加载状态下TA2钛合金的绝热剪切破坏现象及其动态力学响应特性.实验结果表明,在塑性变形初始阶段,动态压缩及剪切加载下的等效应力-应变曲线符合较好,但随塑性损伤发展及绝热剪切带形成,两者出现分离,表明损伤及绝热剪切演化过程与应力状态相关.剪切试样实验得到的本构"软化"特性能够反映绝热剪切带起始、破坏演化过程的力学响应特性,而在动态压缩实验中,即使试样中已出现双锥形的绝热剪切带及局部裂纹分布,其表观等效应力-应变曲线并不出现软化特征,动态压缩实验无法得到关于绝热剪切起始、发展以及破坏的本构软化响应特性.     

加载历史对循环硬化的影响

本文研究了45#钢和LY-12CZ铝合金在室温条件下拉扭复合比例及非比例加载时的循环硬化特性,其结果表明不同加载路径循环硬化程度不同,纯扭硬化程度最小,圆形路径硬化程度最大。着重研究了不同循环历史对后面循环稳定应力幅值的影响。     

A continuum model for initiation and evolution of deformation twinning

Within continuum dislocation theory the plastic deformation of a single crystal with one active slip system under plane-strain constrained shear is investigated. By introducing a twinning shear into the energy of the crystal, we show that in a certain range of straining the formation of deformation twins becomes energetically preferable. An energetic threshold for the onset of twinning is determined. A rough analysis qualitatively describes not only the evolving volume fractions of twins but also their number during straining. Finally, we analyze the evolution of deformation twins and of the dislocation network at non-zero dissipation. We present the corresponding stress-strain hysteresis, the evolution of the plastic distortion, the twin volume fractions and the dislocation densities.     

Analytical springback model for lightweight hexagonal close-packed sheet metal

Experiments have shown that magnesium alloy sheet a common hexagonal close-packed metal, exhibits mechanical behavior unlike that of sheets made of cubic metals (X.Y. Lou et al., 2007, Int. J. Plasticity, 24, 44). The unique stress–strain response includes a strong asymmetry in the initial yield and subsequent plastic hardening. In other words, the stress–strain curves in tension and compression are significantly different. A proper representation of the constitutive relationships is crucial for the accurate evaluation of springback, which occurs due to the residual moment distribution through the sheet thickness after bending. In this paper, we propose an analytical model for asymmetric elasto-plastic bending under tension followed by elastic unloading in order to evaluate the bending moment, which is equivalent to the springback amount. To simplify the calculations, the experimentally measured stress–strain curve of the magnesium alloy sheet was approximated with discrete linear hardening in each deformation region, and the material properties were characterized according to several simplifying assumptions. The bending moment was calculated analytically using the approximate asymmetric stress–strain relationship up to the prescribed curvature corresponding to the radius of the tool in sheet metal forming operations. A numerical example showed an unusual springback increase, even with an increase in the applied force; this is an unexpected result for conventional symmetric materials. We also compared the calculated springback amounts with the results of physical measurements. This showed that the proposed model predicts the main trends of the springback in magnesium alloy sheets reasonably well considering the simplicity of the analytical approach.     

Cyclic multiaxial and shear finite deformation response of OFHC: Part I,experimental results

A series of experiments has been conducted on oxygen free high conductivity (OFHC) copper hollow cylinders under cyclic free-end torsion and biaxial tension–torsion at large strains. In addition, equations are developed to account for the finite rotation and strains in electrical resistance strain gages. In free-end cyclic torsion experiments with shear strain range equal to 23%, a significant strain in the axial direction is observed and it accumulates with a constant rate cycle by cycle. In the biaxial tension–torsion (multiaxial ratchetting) experiments, in which the primary (constant) axial stress is larger than the initial yield stress of the material, the loading conditions are varied to determine the influence of primary axial stress, cyclic shear strain range, pre-cyclic hardening and loading sequence on multiaxial ratchetting. Some important experimental features are high-lighted and recommended to help modeling efforts later.