Deformation behavior of lightweight clad sheet: Experiment and modeling

Abstract

In this study, three-layer Al/steel/Al clad metal sheets, which form a heterostructure comprising separate soft (Al) and hard (steel) domains, were fabricated using aluminum and low-carbon steel to investigate the enhanced mechanical properties of multilayered composites. The heterogeneous deformation mechanism was analyzed by combining experimental and computational approaches. The in-situ deformation behavior of the clad sheets was explored at micro/macro scales through uniaxial tensile and bending tests with a developed physics-based constitutive model by considering the evolution of geometrically necessary dislocations at the Al/steel interface. The experimental results were used to determine the appropriate parameters for the proposed modeling method. The modeling approach introduced in the study was successfully validated, thereby demonstrating its applicability for predicting the different mechanical properties of clad sheets under various deformation modes.