Hot Deformation Behavior and Processing Maps of 2099 Al-Li Alloy

Hot deformation behavior and processing maps of the 2099 Al-Li alloy are investigated by tensile test at the temperature range from 250 to 450 °C and the strain rate range from 0.001 to 5.0 s⁻¹. The typical true stress-true strain curves show that the flow stress increases with increasing the strain rate and decreasing the deforming temperature. All curves exhibit rapid work hardening at an initial stage of strain followed by remarkable dynamic softening. Based on the flow stress behavior, the processing maps are calculated and analyzed according to the dynamic materials model (DMM). The processing maps exhibit an instability domain in the temperature and strain rate ranges: T = 250-260 °C and \(\dot{\upvarepsilon }\) = 0.1-0.5 s⁻¹. The maps also exhibit an optimum hot working condition in the stability domain that occurs in the temperature of 400 °C for a strain rate of 0.001 s⁻¹ and having a maximum efficiency of 60%. The microstructural examinations exhibit the occurrence of dynamic recovery (DRV) during hot deformation of the 2099 alloy which is the dominant softening mechanism in the alloy. The fracture behavior changes from a brittle fracture to a ductile fracture as strain rate decreases and temperature increases.