Tensile properties of as-cast aluminum alloy AA5182 close to the solidus temperature

In response to the demand for accurate mechanical property data in the partially solidified state, an experimental apparatus has been developed to perform tensile measurements of aluminum alloys at temperatures close to the solidus temperature. Measurements of the tensile properties of an industrially direct chill cast AA5182 aluminum alloy have been carried out at temperatures between 500 and 580 °C, at a range of strain rates between ∼10−2 and ∼10−4 s−1. The fracture surfaces and microstructures of the tested specimens have been examined using optical and scanning electron microscopy in an attempt to correlate tensile properties with fracture behaviour and changes in microstructure. These properties have also been linked to the liquid fraction present in the specimen based on data found in the literature.