Particle-matrix debonding with Strength-Differential effects

Abstract

In this work the onset of failure caused by particle-matrix debonding in aluminum alloy 2090-T3 and magnesium alloy AZ31 under either overall uniaxial plane strain tension or compression load is studied numerically using a unit cell model. Especially for magnesium AZ31, experiments show a significant difference in the tensile-compressive yield stresses, the so-called Strength-Differential-effect (SD-effect). This SD-effect cannot be captured by any isotropic yield function and only by recent anisotropic yield functions. To accurately model AA 2090-T3 and magnesium AZ31 the general yield function by Yoon et al. (2014) is adopted in addition to the isotropic von Mises plasticity yield function and the anisotropic yield function of Hill (1948). The numerically predicted strain at which void nucleation initiates is generally found to be larger for magnesium AZ31 than for AA 2090-T3. However, depending on the orientation of the principal axes of plastic anisotropy this void nucleation strain varies significantly. This holds true for both materials, but the void nucleation strain of AA 2090-T3 in compression is numerically predicted to be practically identical whether or not isotropic or anisotropic plasticity is considered. In tension the void nucleation strain of AA 2090-T3 based on anisotropic plasticity is found to be more than double the strain obtained by von Mises plasticity. The numerically predicted void nucleation strain of magnesium AZ31 is significantly affected by the yield function adopted. For the von Mises yield function the value of the void nucleation strain is in between the predictions based on the anisotropic yield functions. For both tension and compression, the yield function of Yoon et al. (2014) results in the largest void nucleation strain, whereas the yield function of Hill results in the smallest strain value. This holds true for all five orientations of the principal axes of plastic anisotropy investigated.