Finite Element Modeling of Plane Strain Toughness for 7085 Aluminum Alloy

In this work, the constitutive model for 7085-T7X (overaged) aluminum alloy plate samples with controlled microstructures was developed. Different lengths of 2nd step aging times produced samples with similar microstructure but different stress-strain curves (i.e., different nanostructure). A conventional phenomenological strain-hardening law with no strain gradient effects was proposed to capture the peculiar hardening behavior of the material samples investigated in this work. The classical Gurson-Tvergaard potential, which includes the influence of void volume fraction (VVF) on the plastic flow behavior, as well as an extension proposed by Leblond et al.,([3]) were considered. Unlike the former, the latter is able to account for the influence of strain hardening on the VVF growth. All the constitutive coefficients used in this work were based on experimental stress-strain curves obtained in uniaxial tension and on micromechanical modeling results of a void embedded in a matrix. These material models were used in finite element (FE) simulations of a compact tension (CT) specimen. An engineering criterion based on the instability of plastic flow at a crack tip was used for the determination of plane strain toughness K (Ic) . The influence of the microstructure was lumped into a single state variable, the initial void volume fraction. The simulation results showed that the strain-hardening behavior has a significant influence on K (Ic) .open119sciescopu

EXPERIMENTAL AND ANALYTICAL INVESTIGATIONS ON PLANE STRAIN TOUGHNESS FOR 7085 ALUMINUM ALLOY

Data are presented on plane strain fracture toughness, yield strength, and strain hardening for three orientations of samples from quarter-thickness (t/4) and midthickness (t/2) locations of alloy 7085 plates with different gages aged past peak strength with different 2nd step aging times (T7X). These data are fit to an expression adapted from Hahn and Rosenfield (1968), in which toughness is proportional to strain hardening, the square root of yield strength, and the square root of a critical strain epsilon (c) . Strain-hardening exponent n is replaced by an alternative measure, since the stress-strain data do not follow a power law. With increased overaging, the increase of strain hardening dominates the decrease of strength, such that toughness increases. The critical strain, which represents the influence of the microstructure on toughness, has no trend with overaging time. Constituents and grain boundary precipitates, thought to be the microstructural elements most differentiating alloy 7085 from alloy 7050, are quantified at t/4 and at t/2 on one plate. From this the greater critical strain at t/2 than at t/4 is mainly attributed to greater effective spacing of constituents. Critical strain is also greater with longitudinal loading and crack propagating in the long transverse direction, but definite understanding of this will require better anisotropic fracture mechanics and further microstructural characterization.open1125sciescopu