High strain-rate tensile behaviour of aluminium A6063

Abstract

The growing demand for more fuel-efficient vehicles to reduce energy consumption and air pollution is a challenge for the automotive industry. The aluminium alloy can replace steels and copper in this industry. In this framework, we are interested in studying the behaviour at high strain rate. Dynamic tensile tests are conducted on aluminium alloy (AA) 6063 using a split-Hopkinson tension bar and a sensing block system to validate the testing technique and to investigate the strain-rate effect on the material’s stress–strain behaviour and failure mode. We present the experimental procedures and results discussing the constitutive response of the alloy at strain rates up to approximately 1500 s−1. We tested two different specimen sizes at a wide range of actuator velocities to achieve the desired strain rates. Results show that the yield strength, ultimate strength and failure strain were dependent on strain rate. We fitted the data to the Johnson-Cook (JC) constitutive model and the resulting parameters are comparable to published results in similar work.