Effects of Microstructural Anisotropy on the Mechanical Properties of Aluminum Alloy AA 7010 — T7651

The effect of microstructural anisotropy on the mechanical response of a heavily rolled 7010 – T7651 Al alloy has been investigated. A comprehensive set of quasi-static and dynamic (shockloading) experiments were conducted on specimens with their loading axis along the rolling (RD) and through-the-thickness (TT) directions. Deformed specimens were characterized via optical and electron backscatter diffraction techniques. The results show that specimens tested along the TT direction exhibit a higher elastic limit and moduli; whereas specimens tested along the RD direction exhibit a higher ductility and fracture stress. For the case of shock-loaded specimens, it was found that void nucleation was dependent on the grain boundary orientation with respect to the applied load, whereas angle misorientation and Taylor factor differences of adjacent grains did not contribute significantly to the damage development.