Analysis of Damage and Failure in Anisotropic Ductile Metals Based on Biaxial Experiments with the H-Specimen

Abstract Background Dependence of strength and failure behavior of anisotropic ductile metals on loading direction and on stress state has been indicated by many experiments. To realistically predict safety and lifetime of structures these effects must be taken into account in material models and numerical analysis. Objective The influence of stress state and loading direction on damage and failure behavior of the anisotropic aluminum alloy EN AW-2017A is investigated. Methods New biaxial experiments and numerical simulations have been performed with the H-specimen under different load ratios. Digital image correlation shows evolution of strain fields and scanning electron microscopy is used to visualize failure modes on fracture surfaces. Corresponding numerical studies predict stress states to explain damage and fracture processes on the micro-scale. Results The stress state, the load ratio and the loading direction with respect to the principal axes of anisotropy affect the width and orientation of localized strain fields and the formation of damage mechanisms and fracture modes at the micro-level. Conclusions The enhanced experimental program with biaxial tests considering different loading directions and load ratios is suggested for characterization of anisotropic metals.