Effects of DC current on the mechanical behavior of AlMg1SiCu

The effect of an electron wind on the mechanical properties of aluminum is investigated with the ultimate goal of establishing a technique by which the mechanical energy associated with the deformation of a material can be reduced without requiring a significant increase in the material's temperature. In the study presented herein, the effect that the electrical flow has on the mechanical properties of aluminum is examined through tensile testing. However, as electricity is passed through the material, some incidental resistive heating occurs. Therefore, in order to isolate the effect of the electrical flow from that resulting from resistive heat, the effect of transient temperatures on the stress-strain behavior of aluminum is also considered, with, and without, the presence of the electrical flow. In addition, variation in the electrical effect, with respect to the aluminum's temper and electrical pre-treating, is investigated. The experimental results indicate that the electrical current has the potential to substantially reduce deformation energies without causing significant increases in the workpiece temperature. The data also indicates that this effect exists regardless of the temper on the material. Finally, the study found that electrically pre-treating the aluminum produced results similar to that of an annealing process (i.e., the energies were significantly reduced).