Hot Workability and Flow Characteristics of Aluminum-5 wt.% B₄C Composite

Flow behavior of aluminum-5 wt.% boron carbide (Al-B₄C) composite was investigated by carrying out compression tests over a range of strain rates (10⁻⁴-10⁰ s⁻¹) and temperatures (200-500 °C). The flow stress data obtained from these tests at true strain 0.5 were used to develop processing map. The stable and instable flow regimes in the map were characterized by the microstructural examination using Scanning Electron Microscopy and Electron Backscattered Diffraction. The optimum condition for processing of Al-5%B₄C composite was found to lie between 425 and 475 °C at the strain rate of around 10⁻⁴ s⁻¹. A strain-compensated Sellars-McG Tegart constitutive equation was established to model high-temperature deformation behavior of the material.