Prediction of hot deformation behavior of Al–5.9%Cu–0.5%Mg alloys with trace additions of Sn

High temperature deformation behavior of Al–5.9wt%Cu–0.5wt%Mg alloys containing trace amounts (from 0 to 0.1 wt%) of Sn was studied by hot compression tests conducted at various temperatures and strain rates. The peak flow stress of the alloys increased with increase in strain rate and decrease in deformation temperature. The peak stress could be correlated with temperature and strain rate by a suitable hyperbolic-sine constitutive equation. The activation energy for hot deformation of the alloy without Sn content was observed to be 183.4 kJ mol−1 which increased to 225.5 kJ mol−1 due to 0.08 wt% of Sn addition. The Zener-Hollomon parameter (Z) was determined at various deforming conditions. The tendency of dynamic recrystallization increased with low Z values, corresponding to low strain rate and high temperature. The peak flow stresses at various processing conditions have been predicted by the constitutive modeling and correlated with the experimental results with fairly good accuracy. It was possible to predict 80, 75, 100, 100, 90, and 85% of the peak stress values within an error less than ±13%, for the investigated alloys. With addition of Sn content >0.04 wt%, peak flow stress increased significantly for all strain rate and temperature combinations. Scanning electron microscope revealed two types of second phases at the grain boundary of the undeformed alloy matrix, one being an Al–Cu–Si–Fe–Mn phase while the other identified as CuAl2. The high strength and flow stress value of the alloy with 0.06 wt% of Sn content, may be attributed to the variation in amount, composition, and morphology of the Al–Cu–Si–Fe–Mn phase, as well as to the lower value of activation energy for precipitation reaction, as revealed from differential scanning calorimetric studies.