Study on Cryogenic Mechanical Behavior of 6000 Series Aluminum Alloys

In this study, tensile tests were performed on aluminum alloys (AA6061 and AA6082) to investigate their mechanical behaviors at cryogenic temperatures. The temperature was varied from 110 K up to 293 K, and quasi-static strain rates of 10⁻⁴ s⁻¹ −10⁻² s⁻¹ were taken into account for the tests. The experimental results were analyzed to find the dependence on the temperature, strain rate, and fractured surfaces. As a result, it was found that the strength and elongation of the aluminum alloys were improved when the temperature was decreased. In addition, it was confirmed that the mechanical behaviors of the aluminum alloys were not dependant on the strain rate. Under a tensile load, two types of fractures were seen in the aluminum alloys: cup-cone (AA6061) and shear (AA6082).