The features of unstable plastic flow in an Al–Mg alloy

Abstract

The unstable plastic flow of a binary Al–Mg alloy, associated with the Portevin–Le Chatelier effect, was studied at strain rates ranging from 10−5 to 10−3 s−1 using statistical analysis of the stress-strain curve serrations and digital image correlation (DIC) technique. The obtained measurements were used for description of the spatiotemporal behavior of instability of type A and type B. The type A was revealed on the deformation curve at strain rates higher than 1×10−3 s−1, while type B was observed at strain rates lower than 1.4×10−4 s−1. The amplitudes of type A serrations are described by a power-law distribution whereas the type B serrations can be discussed in terms of a peak-shaped distribution.