Deformation Mechanisms during Low- and High-Temperature Superplasticity in 5083 Al-Mg Alloy

The controlling deformation mechanisms and grain boundary sliding behavior during low-, medium-, and high-temperature superplasticity (LTSP, MTSP, and HTSP) in fine-grained 5083 Al-Mg base alloys are systematically examined as a function of strain. Grain boundary sliding was observed to proceed at temperatures as low as 200 °C. With increasing LTSP straining from the initial (ε < 0.5) to later stages (ε > 1.0), the strain rate sensitivity m, plastic anisotropy factor R, high-angle grain boundary fraction, grain size exponent p, and grain boundary sliding contribution all increased. During the initial LTSP stage, there was little grain size dependence and the primary deformation mechanisms were solute drag creep plus minor power-law creep. At later stages, grain size dependence increased and grain boundary sliding gradually controlled the deformation. During MTSP and HTSP, solute drag creep and grain boundary sliding were the dominant deformation mechanisms.