Effect of Orientation on Mechanical Behavior of an Extruded Al Alloy

Abstract

The extruded materials are extensively used in chemical, food and nuclear industry and generally offer a unique combination of strength and freedom with regard to design solutions. During extrusion, material flow occurs in the direction of applied force and as a result microstructure change. The process ultimately induces variation in the mechanical properties when tested along or across the extrusion direction. The uniaxial tensile test is a simple and versatile test to expose most of the mechanical properties of the materials required to ensure the reliability of the systems. In present study, the mechanical behavior of an Al-Mg-Si alloy extruded cylinder has been determined with the help of uniaxial tensile test in longitudinal and transverse orientations. The microstructural features revealed significant difference in two orientations and constituent particles were found aligned in the direction of extrusion. Tensile tests were conducted in displacement mode at different cross head speeds corresponding to strain rates ranging from 10−5 to 10−1 s−1. The tests were conducted at ambient temperature in air atmosphere. The data thus obtained include: yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, percent elongation and reduction of area. Comparing the trends of strength variation, the material shows higher yield strength in longitudinal orientation as compared to transverse orientation. A slight increase in the yield strength with increasing strain rate was found in both the orientations. The ultimate tensile strength in both the directions was found similar and there was no appreciable change with increasing strain rate. The elongation and reduction in area were found higher in the longitudinal orientation. The effect of strain rate on these properties was negligible up to maximum speed tested. In longitudinal orientation typical dimpled fracture was observed indicating deformation before failure. In transverse orientation shallow dimples were present. The present study revealed that the distribution of constituent particles in an extruded thick-walled cylinder has a pronounced effect on its mechanical behavior and fracture morphology.