Experimental and Numerical Studies on Hot Deformation of Graphene-reinforced Aluminum Matrix Composite

Abstract Graphene/Al composite materials have excellent comprehensive properties and can be used under extreme environmental conditions such as high temperature, high pressure, high vacuum, strong corrosion, and irradiation. The thermal deformation behavior of 0.5 wt.% graphene/Al6061 composites at T=300 °C, T=350 °C, T=400 °C, T=450 °C, and ε · = 0.001 s − 1 , ε · = 0.01 s − 1 , ε · = 0.1 s − 1 , ε · = 1 s − 1 was studied by isothermal compression tests and numerical simulation methods. The experimental data show that the flow stress of graphene/Al6061 composites gradually rises as the temperature reduces. When the strain rate reduces, the flow stress of graphene/Al6061 composites gradually decreases. A constitutive equation based on the Arrhenius equation is established, and the maximum error between the calculated stress value got from the constitutive equation and the measured stress value is less than 15%. The equivalent stress and strain distributions of graphene/Al6061 composites at distinct deformation temperatures and strain rates were simulated by using the finite element method. It is found that the spread of equivalent strain is related to the transmutation zone. The equivalent stress is uneven. The simulated equivalent stress is close to the experimental value.