Interaction of the Portevin–Le Chatelier phenomenon with ductile fracture of a thin aluminum CT specimen: experiments and simulations

Abstract : An attempt is made here to capture numerically slant ductile fracture and its early slant strain precursors via combining a dynamic strain aging (DSA) model with ductile damage models. In recent experimental studies it has been shown that in an AA2XXX alloy strain localization in slant bands preceded the onset of damage, originating slant fracture ahead of a notch. Here tensile tests are performed at different strain rates revealing some negative strain rate sensitivity which is an indication of DSA effect for AA2198-T8. A McCormick-type DSA model in conjunction with a Rousselier damage model, a reduced polycrystalline plasticity model and a Coulomb fracture criterion for slip systems have been used. Full 3D finite element simulations using this model and typical parameters for aluminum alloys capture the early strain localization in slanted bands, their intermittent activity and the final slant fracture. Prior simulation results without the DSA model and others using the von Mises plasticity or the GTN model did not capture the early slant strain localization thereby suggesting that DSA may well be the physical origin of the early slant strain localization and final slant fracture phenomena in this alloy.