The aim of this work is to implement recently developed modeling approaches to predict the mechanical behavior of a precipitation-hardened Al-Mg-Si-Cu-Zn alloy. Assuming that precipitates act as weak or strong obstacles to dislocation motion, a yield strength model, originally introduced for AA6111 alloy, is used to derive the precipitate strengthening formulations. The application of the model provides accurate predictions for the evolution of yield strength of the alloy during artificial aging. The transition point, at which shearable precipitates become non-shearable ones, has been identified directly from the result of tensile tests of AA6011(m) samples at different stages of artificial aging using work-hardening rate model. The linear/non-linear behavior of work-hardening rate of AA6011(m) samples at different stages of artificial aging is also studied. It is explained that high dynamic recovery rate in presence of non-shearable precipitates causes the non-linear work-hardening behavior of massively overaged sample. The modeling results for underaged samples show better agreement with measured values of yield strength when the weak obstacle model has been implemented, while strong obstacle model shows relatively good agreement between the experimental and calculated results for the peak-aged and overaged samples.

Keywords