L. Rabet

Microstructure of adiabatic shear bands in Ti6Al4V

Abstract Microstructural deformation mechanisms in adiabatic shear bands in Ti6Al4V are studied using traditional TEM and selected area diffraction, and more advanced microstructural characterisation techniques such as energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, high angle annular dark field STEM and conical dark field TEM. The shear bands under investigation are induced in Ti6Al4V samples by high strain rate compression of cylindrical and hat-shaped specimens in a split Hopkinson pressure bar setup. Samples from experiments interrupted at different levels of deformation are used to study the evolution of the microstructure in and nearby the shear bands. From the early stages of adiabatic shear band formation, TEM revealed strongly elongated equiaxed grains in the shear band. These band-like grains become narrower towards the centre of the band and start to fraction even further along their elongated direction to finally result in a nano-crystalline region in the core. In fully developed shear bands, twins and a needle-like martensite morphology are observed near the shear band.

Texture Evolution in Linear Friction Welded Ti-6Al-4V

The linear friction welding (LFW) behavior of Ti-6Al-4V, a commercial α + β titanium alloy, was investigated using oscillation frequencies ranging from 30-70 Hz and axial pressures from 50-110 MPa. LFW samples were examined using electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) to relate the texture to the welding parameters and to the estimated strain and strain rate. Characterization of the welds included analysis of the microstructure of the weld and of the thermomechanically affected zones (TMAZ) in relation to the parent material.

Mechanical behavior and texture prediction of Ti-6Al-4V based on elastic viscoplastic self-consistent modelling

The goal of this study is to apply an elastic viscoplastic self-consistent crystal plasticity model to predict the texture evolution in a Ti-6Al-4V alloy which has a (mainly) hexagonal crystal structure. The model under consideration is an extension of the viscoplastic self-consistent model proposed by Lebensohn and Tome [1993] which has been adapted to account for elasticity and has been integrated with a new algorithm, making it more computationally efficient within an implicit FE scheme. The flow behavior of Ti-6Al-4V is strongly dependent on strain rate and temperature. To estimate the model parameters, the flow behavior of quasi-static experiments is used. A temperature sensitivity term has been introduced to correct the effects of temperature increase during the dynamic experiments. In order to have a meaningful rate sensitivity exponent, a value is calculated based on valid experimental data, rather than choosing an arbitrary large numerical value. In this way the behavior of Ti-6Al-4V is captured at different strain rates. Predictions of the model are compared to experimental data.

Characterization and Modeling of Twinning in a Titanium Alloy Ti-6Al-4V

The twinning behavior of a commercial Ti-6Al-4V alloy is studied using a combined experimental and numerical approach. An extensive microstructural investigation was performed to identify and quantify the active twin systems. The mechanical behavior as a function of initial texture and strain rate was then modeled using a visco-plastic self-consistent crystal plasticity code (VPSC7). Earlier obtained quasi-static and dynamic data served to fit the parameters of the model, giving good agreement. However, even if the model gave qualitatively good predictions of the stress-strain curves and the texture evolution for the different loadings, the calculated twin fractions differed considerably of the experimental results.

Comparison of Experimental and Numerical Results for the Quasi-Static and Dynamic Tensile Behaviour of a Commercial Ti6Al4V Alloy as a Function of Initial Crystallographic Texture

Quasi-static tensile tests and high strain rate split Hopkinson bar tensile experiments were used to mechanically characterize a commercially available Ti6Al4V alloy. The material was tested along different directions as to assess the influence of the initial crystallographic texture on the mechanical behaviour. In order to circumvent the problem of the limited thickness of the base material, special usage was made of the Linear Friction Welding technique. The results of the experiments were afterwards compared to the numerical results of a crystal plasticity code based on the viscoplastic self-consistent approach, taking into account twinning as an active deformation mode.

An Investigation on Grain Growth in a Commercial Al–Mg Alloy

Alloy AA5182 contains coarse constituent particles and submicron dispersoids. While the former may cause particle stimulated nucleation (PSN) during primary recrystallization, the fine dispersoids may ‘arrest’ grain growth during subsequent annealing. Abnormal grain growth was observed after dissolution/coarsening of the dispersoids. Mainly S [{123}〈634〉] grains, but also some Brass [{011}〈112〉] and Cu [{112}〈111〉] grains, were observed to grow abnormally. Both the grain size and the grain boundary character distribution (GBCD) possibly played a role in the selection of the grains for abnormal grain growth. A dramatic increase in the number fraction of extremely low angle (1−5°) boundaries was observed with annealing, the increase being more at 470°C (when dispersoids were stable and grain growth was arrested more effectively) than at 500°C/530°C (when inhibition to grain growth was less). The nature of the CSL boundaries did not change significantly with annealing time/temperature.

Modelling the plastic deformation of Ti6Al4V under dynamic loading

In this paper, a multiscale numerical method is presented with the aim to model the response of a Ti6Al4V sheet under explosive forming. The numerical modelling focuses on the accurate definition of the plastic deformation of the Ti6Al4V specimens based on the texture of the material. The viscoplastic self-consistent polycrystal model code (VPSC) is used as a link between macroscopic response and the underlying microstructure taking into account the viscoplastic deformation of the specimen. Comparison is made with experimental results. The Cazacu–Barlat (CB06) material model is used because of its capability to describe the yielding asymmetry between tension and compression and to take into account the anisotropic behaviour of the sheet. The study focuses on the evaluation of the material model parameters and on how these affect the structural response of the Ti6Al4V specimens under explosive loading. This paper is part of a Themed Issue on Euromech 570: Interface-dominated materials.

Experimental and Numerical Study of a Combined Blast and Ballistic Protection

The work presented in this paper concerns a project on the optimization of protections subjected to explosions (IED’s threat). Explosions generate two types of threats for a protective structure: blast and impact of fragments. Perforating and non-perforating impact tests were performed in our laboratory with steel spherical projectiles impacting a target based on Kevlar® textile layers and a crushable material, Crushmat®. These tests required to develop a specific experimental test setup in order to contain the composite protective structure and to be able to measure the relevant parameters. The experiments allow us to determine the ballistic performance and basic parameters of the protection, and to validate finite element numerical models (LS-DYNA) resulting in a performant prediction tool. The approach used for the simulation consists in the representation of the full textile architecture with solid elements. Therefore, the textile material is explicitly represented in the model in order to have a good representation of the physical phenomena occurring during impact. For the crushable material, a representation using SPH was chosen in order to take the granular behaviour of this material into account. Good results are obtained with such models. However, these models are very complicated and computing time consuming. The geometry has to be well adapted and symmetry has to be exploited. On the other hand, representation of a granular material with SPH does not take into account some characteristics of this material during impact, such as the pulverisation process of the granular material. Solutions to take these phenomena into account in the model are proposed.

Multi-scale observations of deformation twins in Ti6Al4V

Deformation twinning is an important and necessary mechanism to accommodate deformations in materials with a hexagonal close packed (hcp) crystal structure, i.e. commercial pure titanium. Ti6Al4V is a dual phase alloy of which the major phase (+− 90%) is the hcp alpha-phase. The occurrence of deformation twins in this type of material is not well documented yet, especially not in the case of large deformations like the shear deformations presented here.