Anisotropic Plasticity and Fracture of Three 6000-Series Aluminum Alloys

The influence of microstructure on plasticity and fracture of three 6000-series aluminum alloys is studied with emphasis on the anisotropy caused by the extrusion process. Tension tests on smooth and notched specimens are performed in different directions with respect to the extrusion direction, where the stress and strain to fracture are based on local measurements inside the neck or notch. The microstructure of the alloys, i.e., grain structure, crystallographic texture and size distribution of constituent particles, is characterized and used to explain the experimental findings. The experiments show considerable differences in the directional variation of the yield stress, the plastic flow, the work hardening, and the failure strain between alloys exhibiting recrystallization texture and deformation texture. The alloys with recrystallized microstructure exhibited substantial anisotropic work hardening caused by texture evolution and a stronger notch sensitivity of the failure strain than the alloy with deformed, non-recrystallized microstructure. Comparisons are made with previous experiments on the same alloys in the cast and homogenized condition, and the effects of the microstructural changes caused by the extrusion process on the macroscopic response are discussed.