Inhomogeneity of mechanical properties across the sheet width in a model Al–Li–Zr alloy

Mechanical properties of a model Al–Li–Zr alloy across the sheet width were examined. It was found that they depend on the location of the sample with respect to the sheet mid-plane parallel to the extrusion direction. A quantitative description of microstructure has shown that it is homogeneous across the sheet width, whereas the texture measurements reveal its inhomogeneity. The observed differences in mechanical properties of the Al–Li–Zr alloy are therefore discussed in terms of the number of slip systems activated during deformation and the tendency to strain localization, which in turn depends on grain orientation, i.e. the texture formed during forming.