Integrated microstructural simulations and mechanical property predictions for age-precipitated Al–Mg–Si alloys

Having a full understanding of the precipitate and its mechanical response in aged Al–Mg–Si alloys is challenging. This work builds a comprehensive analysis framework that integrates artificial aging precipitation simulations and mechanical property predictions. By inputting information such as alloy composition, aging temperature, aging time and some material parameters, the statistical distribution of precipitates and the solid solution phase in the matrix can be obtained from Kampmann and Wagner numerical (KWN) method. Then from the results of age precipitation simulations, the key constitutive parameters for the alloy-specific strength and strain hardening behavior were calculated. Additionally, the single crystal properties of pure Al were taken into account to simulate the uniaxial tensile behavior of the different alloys with the crystal plasticity finite element method. The simulated stress–strain curves of three Al–Mg–Si alloys with different Mg and Si contents agree well with the experimental measurements. In addition, the anisotropy and stress–strain distribution characteristics of the alloys are also well captured in the present simulations. Different from previous studies, this study is based on the main role of precipitate in enhancing the mechanical properties of aluminum alloys, and the decisive constitutive parameters of crystal plasticity are obtained through microstructure simulation based on KWN method, which is not only limited to Al–Mg–Si alloys, but also applicable to other aging precipitation alloys.