Hot and warm forming of 2618 aluminium alloy

The hot and warm formability of 2618 aluminium alloy, in the as-solutioned condition, was investigated in extended ranges of temperature and strain rate by means of torsion testing. Precipitation was found to occur during deformation. The effect of the precipitation of second phase particles, occurring during deformation, on the flow curve shape and on the stress level was evaluated. At the lowest temperatures, precipitation, during deformation, resulted in a continuous increase of flow stress; by contrast, when testing temperature exceeded 250 C, precipitation and subsequent coarsening of precipitates, during deformation, resulted in a peak of flow curves, followed by softening. The constitutive equations of the material were calculated and the ductility of the alloy was evaluated as strain to fracture values in all the tested condition