On the strain hardening behaviour of Al-Si-Mg casting alloys

The dependence of the strain hardening rate on the size and shape of the Si particles, dendrite arm spading and Mg content has been studied using monotonic tensile testing and Bauschinger effect. At low strains, the hardening rate is higher for material with elongated Si particles and higher Mg content. At large strains, the hardening rate is higher for material with small dendrites. The internal stresses increase rapidly at small strains, saturating at large strains. The saturation value is higher for material with elongated Si particles, small dendrites or higher Mg content. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science S.A