Cavitation and fracture in the superplastic Al-33% Cu eutectic alloy

Abstract

Experiments were conducted on the Al-33% Cu eutectic alloy in both an annealed and an as-extruded condition. For both conditions, the relationship between flow stress and strain rate is sigmoidal with maximum ductilities occurring at intermediate strain rates in the superplastic Region II. Specimens fail by necking at the faster strain rates in Region III, but the severity of necking is reduced with decreasing strain rate and the necks are very diffuse in Region II. There is extensive internal cavitation in the fractured specimens, especially at lower strain rates and in the vicinity of the fracture tip. It was observed that cavities form preferentially on the α-θ interphase boundaries. It is shown by calculation that the observed change from small rounded cavities to large cavities elongated along the tensile axis is reasonably consistent with the theories of cavity growth in fine-grained superplastic alloys.