Effects of Strain Rate on Tensile Properties and Fracture Behavior of Al-Si-Mg Cast Alloys with Cu Contents

Effects of strain rates on tensile properties and fracture behavior of Al-6Si-0.5Mg alloy containing 0.5 – 4 wt% Cu were studied. The solution treated alloys, containing different amounts of Cu, were aged isochronally for 1 hour at temperatures up to 300°C. Tensile strengths were found to increase with ageing temperature, the maximum being attained at peak aged condition (1 hr at 225°C). Addition of Cu resulted in an increase in tensile strength and 2 wt% Cu addition showed the maximum strength. Evaluation of tensile properties at three different strain rates (10-4, 10-3 and 10-2 s-1) showed that strain rates affected the tensile properties significantly. At higher strain rates the strength was better but ductility was poor.