Expansion-continuous shear deformation behavior of 6061 aluminum alloy

Abstract

A new expansion-continuous shear deformation technique was used to prepare the 6061 aluminum alloy sheet. The extrusion deformation behavior of 6061 aluminum alloy was discussed by the finite element simulation. The microstructure and mechanical properties of 6061 aluminum alloy were studied via the testing and analysis tools of electron back-scatter diffraction,tensile test and scanning electron microscope. The results show that the expansion-continuous shear deformation can coordinate the stability of metal flow velocity during the deformation process of the aluminum alloy. The severe plastic deformation can produce a large and uniform equivalent strain in the extrusion billet, which can effectively trigger continuous dynamic recrystallization, moreover, the orientation distribution of fine grains is scattered, which can effectively refine the grain and weaken the texture. After extrusion, 6061 aluminum alloy presents excellent mechanical properties, and the tensile strength and the elongation can reach up to 380 MPa and 21%, respectively. A large number of dimples emerge in the tensile fracture, which can be attributed to ductile fracture.

Keywords

• 6061 aluminum alloy
• expansion-continuous shear deformation
• finite element simulation
• microstructure
• mechanical property