With the focus of the automotive industry on decreasing vehicle weight and improving fuel efficiency, aluminum is being used for structural components in automobiles. Given the high strain rates associated with vehicle impact, it is necessary to understand the rate sensitivity of any potential alloy (eg. AA5754) in order to accurately predict deformation behaviour. Furthermore, the magnitude and strain path associated with the residual strains remaining after forming of the component also play a major role in how the material will behave. It has been found that AA5754 sheet exhibits negative rate sensitivity up to a strain rate of 0.1/s, and positive strain rate sensitivity at strain rates between 0.1/s and 1500/s. Increasing the strain rate also has the effect of increasing the yield stress as well as the ductility. When a strain path change is involved between the prestrain stage and subsequent uniaxial loading, it has the effect of reducing the rate sensitivity of the material as well as reducing the overall flow stress. A rate-sensitive adaptation of the Voce material model was successfully implemented in LS-DYNA and used to predict the response of AA5754 sheet in bending for applied strain rates of 0.001/s and 0.1/s. / Thesis (Ph.D, Mechanical and Materials Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2008-09-23 20:11:30.829

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Les procédés de mise en forme de tôles minces sont très largement répandus dans l’industrie. Néanmoins, l’utilisation de ces procédés est limitée par le niveau de formabilité du matériau formé, notamment dans le cas des alliages d’aluminium. Afin d’améliorer ces limites de formabilité, des procédés de mise en forme à chaud peuvent être envisagés. L’objectif de cette thèse est d’étudier à l’aide d’approches expérimentale et numérique l’effet de la température et de la vitesse de déformation sur la formabilité des tôles en alliage d’aluminium AA5086 et de proposer une modélisation capable de prédire ces effets. Une campagne d’essais a été réalisée sur ce matériau à partir d’un essai d’emboutissage de type Marciniak. Des courbes limites de formage (CLF) ont été établies sur une plage de température allant de l’ambiant jusqu’à 200°C et pour des vitesses de déformation allant du quasi-statique à 2s-1. Des effets, positif de la température et négatif de la vitesse de déformation sur la formabilité ont été mis en évidence. La prise en compte des effets de la température et de la vitesse de déformation dans les modèles prédictifs des CLF, qu’ils soient analytiques ou numériques, est à ce jour très limitée. Dans ce travail, un modèle numérique prédictif basé sur la simulation par éléments finis du modèle géométrique de Marciniak et Kuczynski (M-K) est proposé. Les déformations limites obtenues avec de ce modèle sont très sensibles à la description du comportement thermo-viscoplastique du matériau et à la calibration du défaut géométrique pilotant l’apparition de la striction dans le modèle M-K. Des essais de traction uniaxiale réalisés dans les mêmes conditions opératoires que les essais de mise en forme de Marciniak ont permis d’identifier des lois d’écrouissage de nature très différentes (rigidifiante, saturante ou mixte). Ces lois conduisent à des prédictions très différentes de la formabilité du matériau pour une valeur donnée du défaut géométrique du modèle EF M-K. Différentes stratégies de calibration de la taille de ce défaut initial ont été envisagées. L’utilisation du point expérimental de la CLF correspondant à des conditions de déformation plane permet de calibrer de manière satisfaisante la valeur de ce défaut. Cette procédure de calibration a été appliquée pour l’ensemble des lois identifiées. Les lois de nature rigidifiante de type Ludwick se sont montrées les plus effficaces alors que les lois saturante de type Voce se sont avérées incapables de prédire la formabilité du matériau pour certaines conditions opératoires. Finalement, il est démontré qu’une valeur constante du défaut géométrique ne peut être retenue pour l’ensemble des conditions opératoires étudiées même si le modèle M-K s’est avéré assez efficace pour représenter l’effet de la température plutôt que celui de la vitesse de déformation. / Sheet metal forming processes are widely used in industry. Nevertheless, the use of these processes is limited by the formability of the considered material, in particular in the case of the aluminium alloys. To improve the formability, warm forming processes can be considered. The objective of this work is to study by means of both experimental and numerical approaches, the effects of temperature and strain rate on the formability of AA5086 aluminium alloy sheets and to propose a modeling suitable to predict these effects. Experimental tests have been carried out on this material by means of the Marciniak stamping experimental device. Forming limit curves (FLCs) have been established on a temperature range going from ambient temperature to 200°C and on a strain rate range going from quasi-static up to 2s-1. A positive effect of the temperature and a negative effect of the strain rate on the formability limits were highlighted. To date, very few predictive models of the FLCs taking into account temperature and strain rate effects are proposed in the literature. In this work, in order to predict the experimental temperature and strain rate sensitivities, a predictive model based on the finite element simulation of the Marciniak and Kuczynski (M-K) geometrical model is proposed. The limit strains obtained with this model are very sensitive to the description of the thermo-viscoplastic behaviour modeling and to the calibration of the initial geometrical imperfection controlling the onset of the necking. Thanks to tensile tests carried out for the same operating conditions that those of Marciniak forming tests, several types (power law, saturation and mixed) of hardening laws have been identified. These hardening laws have been implemented in theFE M-K model to obtain numerical limit strains. Very different formability limits have been observed for a given value of the geometrical defect. Several strategies for the calibration of this initial imperfection size have been tested. The use of the experimental point of the FLC0 corresponding to plane strain condition allows a good calibration of the initial imperfection value. This calibration procedure was carried out for all hardening laws. It is shown that the power law type models such as Ludwick law are more efficient while saturation laws such as Voce law are unable to predict the material formability for some conditions. Finally, it is shown that a constant value of the geometrical defect cannot be used to the whole operating conditions studied even if FE M-K model is shown to be efficient to represent the temperature effect rather than strain rate one.

En raison de l'augmentation de la demande d’allègement pour les véhicules automobiles, des solutions doivent être créées pour permettre aux constructeurs automobiles de passer d'aciers hautement formables mais lourds à des alliages d'aluminium moins formables mais plus légers pour les carrosseries en blanc. Les alliages d'aluminium de la série 6xxx, basés sur le système Al-Mg-Si-Cu, se sont révélés prometteurs en termes de résistance mécanique et de résistance à la corrosion, mais, l'une de leurs principales limitations concerne leur formabilité. Cette thèse vise à comprendre l'effet des additions de Si, Mg et Cu sur les propriétés mécaniques et de formabilité de la série AA6xxx. La calorimétrie différentielle à balayage et les essais de dureté sont utilisés pour identifier les effets de l'addition de solutés sur la microstructure d’amas de solutés après vieillissement naturel et pré-vieillissement. Les essais de traction donnent accès aux principales propriétés mécaniques : limite d'élasticité, résistance à la traction, taux d’écrouissage et allongement uniforme. Le test de sensibilité à la vitesse de déformation est effectué à l'aide de sauts de vitesse afin d'obtenir non seulement la sensibilité à la vitesse ascendante, mais moins classiquement la sensibilité à la vitesse descendante. Enfin, à l'aide d'équations constitutives, les propriétés mécaniques sont utilisées dans une modélisation par éléments finis pour saisir l'évolution de la déformation et de la vitesse de déformation dans la transition de la striction diffuse à localisée. Dans le cas du vieillissement naturel d'un mois (NA1m), deux types d'amas ont été détectés, une espèce moins stable thermiquement ayant une forte dépendance aux teneurs en Cu et Mg, et une espèce plus stable thermiquement ayant la même sensibilité à toutes les espèces de solutés. Lorsque les échantillons sont pré-vieillis, puis laissés pendant un mois (sNA1m), seule l’espèce d’amas thermiquement plus stables et également sensible à tous les ajouts de solutés existe. La formation de ces différents types d’amas en fonction du traitement thermique s'est traduite par les effets de l'ajout de solutés spécifiques sur les propriétés mécaniques observées. Dans l'état NA1m, les effets des additions de Cu et de Mg à l'alliage ont montré les plus fortes augmentations de la limite d'élasticité et du taux d’écrouissage, par rapport aux additions de Si. Ceci contraste avec la condition sNA1m pour laquelle les additions de Cu, Mg et Si augmentent toutes la limite d'élasticité de façon égale tandis que les additions de Cu se sont avérées avoir le plus fort effet sur l'augmentation du taux de durcissement par déformation, suivies par l'effet d’additions de Si, tandis que les additions de Mg n'ont pas eu d'effet. Les tests de sensibilité à la vitesse de déformation ont révélé une asymétrie entre les tests de variation vers le haut et vers le bas, selon laquelle la sensibilité à la vitesse de variation vers le bas est plus grande que la sensibilité à la vitesse de variation vers le haut. De plus, on a constaté que les ajouts de Si augmentent à la fois la sensibilité à la vitesse de déformation à variation ascendante et à variation descendante dans les conditions NA1m et sNA1m. Enfin, l'application de ces propriétés mécaniques à l'étude de l'évolution des strictions diffuse et locale a démontré que l'augmentation de l'exposant d’écrouissage retarde l'apparition du col diffus, par ailleurs l’augmentation de la sensibilité à la vitesse de déformation permet une distribution plus uniforme des déformations et des vitesses de déformation, permettant ainsi la stabilisation et la propagation du col de striction et retardant l'apparition du col local. L'effet de la sensibilité à la vitesse de déformation ascendante s'est révélé plus important que la variation descendante en raison de l'intensité de l'augmentation de la vitesse de déformation à l'intérieur du col sur une zone beaucoup plus petite. / Due to the increased demand for light weighting in automotive vehicles, solutions need to be created to allow automotive manufacturers to switch from highly formable but heavy steels to less formable but lighter aluminium alloys for body-in-white components; doors, roofs, hood. The 6xxx-series of aluminium alloys, based on the system of Al-Mg-Si-Cu, have shown promise for providing adequate strength and corrosion resistance but still, in the current state, one of their main limitations concerns their formability. This thesis aims to understand the effect of Si, Mg, and Cu additions under two different processing routes on the mechanical and formability properties of the AA6xxx-series. Differential scanning calorimetry and hardness testing are used to identify the effects of solute additions on the cluster states after natural ageing and pre-ageing. Tensile testing is used to capture the main mechanical properties: yield strength, tensile strength, strain hardening rate, and uniform elongation. Strain rate sensitivity testing is performed using dynamic strain rate changes to obtain not only the strain rate sensitivity due to rate-change increases (termed up-change), but uniquely, the strain rate sensitivity for rate-change decreases (termed down-change). Finally, using constitutive equations, the mechanical properties are used in combination with finite element modeling to capture the evolution of the strain and strain rate distribution in the evolution and transition of diffuse to local necking. It was found that in the case of natural ageing for one month (NA1m) two cluster types were detected, a less thermally stable species having a high dependency on the Cu and Mg contents, and a more thermally stable species being equally sensitive to all solute species. When samples were first pre-aged, then allowed to naturally age for one month (sNA1m) only the more thermally stable cluster species being equally sensitive to all solute additions existed. The formation of these different cluster types dependent on the heat treatment translated into the effects of specific solute additions on the observed mechanical properties. In the NA1m condition, the effects of Cu and Mg additions to the alloy showed the largest increases on the yield strength and strain hardening rate, as compared to Si additions. This is in contrast to the sNA1m condition whereby Cu, Mg, and Si additions all increased the yield strength equally while Cu additions proved to have the strongest effect on increasing the strain hardening rate, followed by the effect of Si additions, while Mg additions did not have an effect. From the strain rate sensitivity tests, an asymmetry between the up-change and down-change tests was observed whereby the down-change strain rate sensitivity was found to be larger than the up-change strain rate sensitivity. Additionally, Si additions were found to increase both the up-change and down-change strain rate sensitivity in both the NA1m and sNA1m conditions. Finally, the application of these mechanical properties to the onset and evolution of the diffuse and local neck demonstrated that increasing the strain hardening exponent delays the onset of diffuse necking, while increasing both the up-change and down-change strain rate sensitivities provides a more uniform strain and strain rate distribution around the neck, permitting the stabilization and propagation of the neck and delaying the onset of local necking. The effect of the up-change strain rate sensitivity was found to be more important than the down-change due to the intensity of the strain rate increase in the interior of the neck occurring over a much smaller area.

This study describes the strength, toughness and strain-rate sensitivity of fibre-reinforced cement-based foams subjected to variable loading rates. Drop-weight impact tests were conducted on beams with cast density between 475 - 1200 kg/cu.m. The study shows that under quasi-static loading, the compressive strength, elastic modulus and the modulus of rupture of plain mixes scale with the square of the relative density. On the other hand, the flexural toughness factor scaled linearly with it. Fibres were seen to increase the flexural strength at all rates of loading, regardless of cast density. Further, cement based foams were seen to be strain-rate sensitive. The resistance of cement-based foams to sulphate exposure was also investigated. Heavier cement-based foams are more susceptible to sulphate attack and perform poorly with an increase in the duration of exposure when compared to the lightest mix which showed improved responses up to 30 days of exposure due to self-healing. / Structural Engineering

The deformation mechanism of an ultrafine grained (UFG) Al-Zn alloy has been studied. In this work, Al-15wt%Zn alloy was processed by equal channel angular extrusion (ECAE) route A at 100oC to achieve UFG structure. The deformation mechanism was studied by performing tensile test with various strain rates. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy were used to investigate the microstructure evolution in Al-15wt%Zn alloy with increasing ECAE passes. The observation indicated that the super saturated Al-Zn alloy would decompose and precipitate Zn particles during ECAE process. Increasing ECAE passes, the aluminum grain size was reduced, but the size of Zn particles was increased. However, the net effect of increasing ECAE passes is softening of this Al-Zn alloy. The tensile properties of the UFG Al-Zn alloy can be summarized as follows. (1)The UFG Al-Zn alloy possesses higher tensile strength and elongation as compared to commercial purity Al (AA1050). (2)The strain rate sensitivity of the UFG Al-Zn alloy increases significantly with increasing number of ECAE pass, which might be related to the refined aluminum grain size. After processed by 4-16 ECAE passes, the activation volume of the UFG Al-Zn alloy falls in the range of 25 b3~40 b3, which remains nearly constant value with increasing tensile strain. It is suggested that the controlling mechanism responsible for the tensile deformation of the UFG Al-Zn alloy might be related to a grain boundary mediated mechanism. (3)With increasing ECAE passes, the total tensile elongation of the UFG Al-Zn alloy increases but the uniform elongation show little change. This indicates that the increase in total elongation is mainly due to the contribution from an enhanced post-uniform elongation (PUE). It is suggested that the enhanced PUE might be related to the increase in strain rate sensitivity, which is resulted from the refinement of grain size. More detailed studies are needed to understand the deformation mechanism.

In this study, mechanical properties of Al-Zn alloys were conducted, with various parameters including Zn contents, grain size, and tensile strain rate. Experimental samples were all manufactured with friction stir processing method. Samples of Al-Zn alloys with the grain size of 1.5£gm, 1£gm, or 0.5£gm and five Zn concentration were pulled in tension at strain rate of 10-3s-1,10-4s-1 and 10-5s-1 . The data set were then used to draw engineering and true tensile stress vs. strain curves , flowing stress vs. Zn contents curves, Hall-Petch equation curves, m vs. Zn contents curves and m vs. grain size curves. Quantitative analysis were conducted to discover that solid solute softening and inverse Hall-Petch relation were present in Al-Zn alloys, which were more prominent at slower tensile strain rate when grain size was less than 1£gm and the Zn contents was higher than 10wt%. Quantitative analysis of strain rate sensitivity (m) showed the trends of increasing value of m with higher Zn contents and smaller grain sizes when solid solute softening and inverse Hall-Petch relation were present. The high grain-boundary diffusion coefficient of Zn which accelerates the efficiency of dynamic recovery are considered the main reason. The effect gets more prominent with increasing Zn contents , smaller grain size , and slower tensile strain rate. For Zn concentration higher than 10wt%, dynamic recovery may drive inverse Hall-Petch relation to appear when grain size is about 1£gm large.

No description available.

This research developed the quasi-static and dynamic equipment and protocols for tests of both Very-High-Strength Concrete (VHSC) and High-Strength High-Ductility Concrete (HSHDC) to predict blast performance. VHSC was developed for high compressive strength (> 200 MPa). Using VHSC as the baseline material, HSHDC was developed and exhibits comparable compressive strength (> 150 MPa) and high tensile ductility (> 3% tensile strain). This research investigated quasi-static material properties including compression, tension, and flexure (third-point and pressure loadings). Additionally, dynamic blast load simulator (shock tube) tests were performed on simply-supported one-way panels in flexure. Subsequently, the material response in flexure was predicted using the Wall Analysis Code (WAC). Although VHSC has a higher peak flexural strength capacity, HSHDC exhibits higher ductility through multiple parallel micro-cracks transverse to loading. The equipment and test protocols proved to be successful in providing ways to test scaled concrete specimens quasi-statically and dynamically.

No description available.