Dynamic fracture toughness of Al-7Si-Mg (A357) aluminum alloy

Impact behavior related to crack initiation and growth of cast A357 (Al-7Si-0.7Mg) alloy was experimentally investigated. Dynamic fracture toughness for various artificial aging conditions were evaluated by exploiting instrumented impact Charpy V-notch experiments; impact tests were preferred instead of the standard fracture toughness tests in order to have a fast assessment of the effect of artificial aging on the fracture toughness behavior. Characteristic points of impact load-deflection curves related with cracking were identified and post-correlated with different artificial aging conditions. Absorbed impact energies for stable and unstable crack growth were calculated for 28 different aging conditions; resulting cracking velocity at the unstable crack regime (rebound compliance) was also calculated and it was found that rebound compliance is inversely related to ductility. Cracking initiation load values were identified by exploiting the compliance changing rate method; both stress intensity factor and J-integral analysis were employed to calculate critical dynamic fracture toughness values. They were found to be slightly higher than corresponding quasi-static properties and they are both changing with varying aging conditions. Limitations and results of both notch-fracture toughness analyses were discussed by taking into account the material aging condition. Performed scanning electron microscopy on the fracture surfaces revealed the fracture mechanism that is correlated with respective microstructure. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.