Comparative Study of the Dynamic Behavior of AA2519 Aluminum Alloy in T6 and T8 Temper Conditions

This study investigates the dynamic response of AA2519 aluminum alloy in T6 temper condition during plastic deformation at high strain rates. The aim was to determine how the T6 temper condition affects the flow stress response, strength properties and microstructural morphologies of the alloy when impacted under compression at high strain rates. The specimens (with aspect ratio, L/D = 0.8) of the as-cast alloy used were received in the T8 temper condition and further heat-treated to the T6 temper condition based on the standard ASTM temper designation procedures. Split-Hopkinson pressure bar experiment was used to generate true stress-strain data for the alloy in the range of 1000–3500 /s strain rates while high-speed cameras were used to monitor the test compliance with strain-rate constancy measures. The microstructures of the as received and deformed specimens were assessed and compared for possible disparities in their initial microstructures and post-deformation changes, respectively, using optical microscopy. Results showed no clear evidence of strain-rate dependency in the dynamic yield strength behavior of T6-temper designated alloy while exhibiting a negative trend in its flow stress response. On the contrary, AA2519-T8 showed marginal but positive response in both yield strength and flow behavior for the range of strain rates tested. Post-deformation photomicrographs show clear disparities in the alloys’ initial microstructures in terms of the second-phase particle size differences, population density and, distribution; and in the morphological changes which occurred in the microstructures of the different materials during large plastic deformation. AA2519-T6 showed a higher susceptibility to adiabatic shear localization than AA2519-T8, with deformed and bifurcating transformed band occurring at 3000 /s followed by failure at 3500 /s.