The dynamic and quasi-static mechanical response of three aluminum armor alloys: 5059, 5083 and 7039

The mechanical response and microstructural evolution of aluminum alloys 5083, 5059 and 7039 was examined in compression and shear in both the quasi-static (0.001 s−1) and dynamic (≈2000 s−1) strain rate regimes. Electron Back Scattered Diffraction was utilized for detailed post-mortem analysis of the specimens following loading. The mechanical responses in shear were found to be strain-rate sensitive. At the slowest strain rates, all of the alloys had relatively large volumes of highly deformed material with 5083 and 5059 having the largest shear affected volumes. The dynamic strain rate test samples all formed highly compact shear localized volumes across the sheared zone with 7039 consistently displaying the narrowest shear regions. The morphology of these shear bands, along with the limited hardening during deformation, indicate a mechanism change at the higher strain rates. Higher resolution orientation image mapping has shown that between the three alloys there are varying degrees of crystallographic order within the shear bands. Transmission electron microscopy revealed various stages of dynamic recrystallization were present suggesting that while low strain rate deformation is controlled by dislocation multiplication and glide, high strain and strain-rate deformation is influenced in part due to mechanical recrystallization.