The Effect of Grain Size, Strain and Temperature on the Monotonic Stress‐strain Behaviour of Polycrystalline Aluminium and Al Alloys

Abstract

The tensile yield and flow stresses of aluminium, A1-2.63Mg alloy and A1-2.07Li alloy at room temperature are shown to depend on the inverse square root of the polycrystal grain size and are described empirically by the Hall-Petch relation. The same relation describes the flow stress-grain size dependence for A1-2.07Li alloy at temperatures ranging from -196°C to 400°C. The strain hardening in the friction stress of each material at 20°C is independent of the grain size, is approximately parabolic and is greatest for the precipitation strengthened A1-2.07Li alloy. The grain size contribution to the tensile flow stress is dependent on both the tensile strain and composition. The friction stress, uo, and slip band stress intensity parameter, k, at yield, k,,, are both dependent on temperature. Low temperature suppresses dislocation annihilation and recovery processes, leading to planar pile-ups at grain boundaries and a hardening that is linear with strain. Weak hardening is observed at 250°C and 400°C due to extensive annihilation and recovery. The value of k, at all temperatures falls following initial yielding with the generation of freshly unlocked sources.