Dynamic behavior and constitutive modeling of magnesium alloys AZ91D and AZ31B under high strain rate compressive loading

Abstract

The dynamic stress–strain characteristics of magnesium alloys have not been sufficiently studied experimentally. Thus, the present work investigated compressive dynamic stress–strain characteristics of two representative magnesium alloys: AZ91D and AZ31B at high strain rates and elevated temperatures. In order to use the stress–strain characteristics in numerical simulations to predict the impact response of components, the stress–strain characteristics must be modeled. The most common approach is to use accepted constitutive laws. The results from the experimental study of the response of magnesium alloys AZ91D and AZ31B under dynamic compressive loading, at different strain rates and elevated temperatures are presented here. Johnson–Cook model was used to best fit the experimental data. The material parameters required by the model were obtained and the resultant stress–strain curves of the two alloys for each testing condition were plotted. It is found that the dynamic stress–strain relationship of both magnesium alloys are strain rate and temperature dependent and can be described reasonably well at high strain rates and room temperature by Johnson–Cook model except at very low strains. This might be due to the fact that the strain rate is not strictly constant in the early stage of deformation.