Role of anisotropy in the ballistic response of rolled magnesium

Abstract

Rolled magnesium alloys exhibit pronounced tension-compression asymmetry as well as anisotropy in yield and strain-hardening behavior. Although differences in the mechanical response are reasonably well-understood, it is not clear to what extent anisotropy alters the deformation and failure of plates subjected to ballistic loading conditions. In this work, the role of texture and anisotropy in the ballistic response is investigated using a combined experimental–computational approach. Sphere impact experiments are performed on rolled magnesium plates cut from orientations that exhibit differing mechanical responses. The complex failure process is characterized by in situ diagnostics, including ultra-high-speed Digital Image Correlation and Photonic Doppler Velocimetry, and compared with simulations performed on polycrystalline aggregates using a polycrystal plasticity model for hcp metals. The anisotropic deformation behavior arises from deformation mechanisms with disparate strength and strain hardening behavior, which is well captured in the model. The occurrence of low-strength extension twinning is shown to govern the initial anisotropic deformation and bulging of the plate. When compared with post-mortem 3D X-ray microscopy, regions that experience intense basal slip are shown to be sites for damage initiation that leads to eventual fracture. The combination of experiments and simulations suggest that at low to intermediate ballistic loading rates, material orientation plays a crucial role in dictating eventual fracture and failure in strongly anisotropic metals such as in rolled magnesium alloys.