Effect of Cryogenic Temperature Rolling on High Speed Impact Behavior of AA 6082 Thin Targets

Aluminium alloy AA 6082-T6 was rolled at cryogenic and room temperatures to final thickness of 0.5 mm after 75% thickness reduction and subjected to high speed impact. The deformed alloy was investigated for its ballistic properties due to potential applications in aerospace and automotive sectors. The cryogenic and room temperature rolled samples were subjected to normal high-speed impact using a gas gun arrangement to shoot nosed projectiles at velocities higher than the ballistic limits. Phantom ‘V611’ high-speed camera was used to measure the initial and residual velocities of the projectile. Nano-indentation was performed to relate hardness of the initial sample with the observed impact behaviour. Detailed fractographic studies were conducted using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to substantiate the possible failure mechanisms upon impact. Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) were used to characterize the microstructure of the deformed samples. The high speed impact data is correlated with the metallographic observations in this study.