Prediction of Variability in Mechanical Properties based on Microstructural Simulations and Finite Elements Based Computations

摘要

In the cast Mg-alloys, spatial heterogeneity of gas and shrinkage pores unfavorably affects properties such as ductility, strength, and fatigue life, and can lead to significant variability in these properties. Nonetheless, structural applications of cast Mg-alloys necessitate production of castings that exhibit reproducible global mechanical response for which low variability in the relevant properties is essential. Hence, it is of interest to model and simulate the effects of spatial clustering and heterogeneity of pores on the fracture sensitive properties such as ductility, strength, and fatigue life. The objective of this contribution is to present a general and flexible technique for computer simulations of microstructures containing pores of realistic shapes/morphologies that have specified size distribution and extent of spatial clustering. These simulated microstructures are implemented in finite elements (FE) framework to simulate variability in the ductility and strength of a high-pressure die-cast AM50 alloy.