Strength Degradation in AA5083 Armor Plate After Exposure to Elevated Temperatures

Abstract

The thermally-driven evolution of β-phase (Al3Mg2) and its impact on strength is explored for three different producers of aluminum alloy 5083-H131 used in armor applications. Specimens were exposed to 100°C air for periods of up to 30 days. Through a combination of optical microscopy and computational image analysis, the extent of matrix β and grain boundary β in the microstructure was assessed. Quasi-static tensile testing was also used to measure strength as a function of exposure time. It was found that a degradation in yield strength strongly correlates with the rapid emergence of matrix β-phase and not slowly evolving grain boundary β networks typical of a sensitized microstructure. The decrease in yield strength is attributed to the loss of the solid solution strengthening via matrix β-phase precipitation. This suggests that field exposure to solar radiation, ambient air, or engine/exhaust heat could lead to a loss in the level of ballistic protection afforded by the alloy even without a sensitized condition.

Synergistic corrosion protection of stir-cast hybrid aluminum composites reinforcing CeO2 and GNPs nano-particulates

“…The micrographs of the corroded samples are displayed in Figure 8 (a–d) of V01 and V04 samples at room temperature and elevated temperatures (Konovalova, 2021; Li et al , 2022; Kasen and Tubbs, 2023). During potentiodynamic polarization testing, the base and composite materials were corroded by the 3.5% NaCl solution, which is a highly corrosive medium for aluminum.…”

Effect of Microstructure on Corrosion Behavior of Cold Sprayed Aluminum Alloy 5083

“…The severity of IGC for Al-Mg alloys is shown to be proportional to increased length of time and temperature up to 200 • C due to coarsening and forming β-phase networks along grain boundaries [5][6][7]. Sensitization and subsequent IGC are also found to contribute to the loss of the mechanical strength of Al-Mg alloys: the increased sensitization time gives rise to decreased tensile strength and hardness and an increased stress corrosion cracking (SCC) growth rate [8][9][10]. The degradation of mechanical strength is associated with the reduction in the concentration of Mg solid solution that acts as the source for solid solution strengthening.…”

Effect of Sc:Zr Ratio on Superplastic Behavior of Ultrafine-grained Al-6%Mg-Sc-Zr Alloys

“…Al-Mg alloys boast a wide array of applications in aircraft industry, rocket engineering, and shipbuilding [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]. Aluminum alloys with 6%Mg display a good combination of strength and ductility at room temperature, as well as improved corrosion resistance.…”