Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Mode I Fracture Behavior in Magnesium Single Crystals

Abstract

Magnesium alloys, owing to their low density and high specific strength, are potential candidates for structural applications in automotive and aerospace industry. While considerable research effort has been devoted in recent years to understand deformation twinning in these alloys and Mg single crystals, only few studies have been conducted on their fracture behavior. This issue assumes importance since some investigations have shown that Mg alloys may possess low fracture toughness (less than Al alloys). Therefore, a combined experimental and numerical study of fracture in Mg single crystals under mode-I loading is performed in this work. The fracture experiments are conducted using three point bend(TPB) specimens inside a scanning electron microscope(SEM) stage equipped with specially designed fixtures. Three crystallographic orientations are considered where c-axis [0001] is along the normal to the flat surface of the notch in the first two orientations, while in the third it is aligned with the notch front. In-situ electron back scattered diffraction (EBSD) observations are made in the region around the notch root to monitor the evolution of tensile twinning on the specimen free surface. Along with EBSD, optical metallography, fractography and surface profilometry are also performed on the specimens to obtain a comprehensive understanding on the micromechanics of fracture in Mg single crystals. From the EBSD data, it is noticed that all the orientations show profuse tensile twinning of {1012}-type. Further, in the first two orientations, basal and prismatic slip traces are identified along with secondary basal slip inside the twins. The growth of the most prominent twin is monitored as a function of load and it is found that its width saturates at around 120 -150 μm, while twins continue to nucleate farther away to accommodate plastic deformation. The 3D nature of twinning is examined by comparing distribution of twin traces and the average twin volume fraction at the free surface and the mid-plane. It is noted that in all the orientations crack initiation occurs before the attainment of peak load and the crack grows stably along twin-matrix interface. Further, zigzaging of the crack path occurs due to deflection of the crack at the twin-twin intersections. It is found that profuse tensile twinning is an important energy dissipating mechanism that enhances the toughness of the material. Indeed, the experimental results show that the energy release rate J versus load histories corroborate with evolution of average twin volume fraction around the notch root. In order to gain further insights on the mechanics of fracture in Mg single crystals, 3D finite element simulations are carried out using a crystal plasticity framework, which includes crystallographic slip and twinning. The predicted load-displacement curves, slip traces and tensile twinning activity from finite element analysis are in good corroboration with the experimental observations. The numerical results are used to understand the 3D nature of the crack tip stress, plastic slip and twin volume fraction distributions near the notch root. The occurrence of tensile twinning in all three orientations is rationalized from the distribution of nor-mal stress ahead of the notch tip. In particular, compressive normal stress beyond the plastic hinge point causes out-of-plane bulging that is accompanied by tensile twinning for the third orientation in which the c-axis is aligned along the specimen thickness. The above behavior emphasizes the importance of tensile twinning since this orientation has relevance to polycrystalline Mg alloys that have a basal texture.