EFFECT OF STRESS STATE ON CAVITATION AND HOLE GROWTH IN SUPERPLASTIC AA-7475 ALUMINUM-ALLOY

A study has been made of the growth of cavities and of artificial holes in AA 7475 alloy sheet material during both uniaxial and equibiaxial tensile straining, with the object of clarifying the effect of stress state on cavitation during superplastic flow. The growth rate of cavities with strain was observed to be lower for uniaxial tension than for equibiaxial tension. An analysis of artificial hole growth data supports these observations, and is consistent with the view that continuous cavity nucleation and cavity coalescence lead to an increase in the apparent cavity growth rate during superplastic flow. © 1990 The Institute of Metals.