Crystal Plasticity Driven Prediction of Warm Deformation in Aluminum Li Alloys

Abstract

Aluminum-lithium (Al-Li) alloys are increasingly utilized in aerospace and high-performance structural applications due to their low density, high specific strength, and excellent fatigue resistance. Understanding and predicting their warm deformation behavior is essential for optimizing forming processes, improving dimensional accuracy, and preventing defects such as localized necking or strain localization. This study presents a crystal plasticity-based computational framework coupled with experimental validation to predict the warm deformation behavior of AA2060-T8 Al-Li alloy. The model incorporates crystallographic texture, slip system activity, strain rate sensitivity, and thermal softening effects to simulate microstructural evolution under varying temperature and strain rate conditions. Model predictions of flow stress, strain distribution, and slip activity were validated against uniaxial warm compression tests, demonstrating excellent agreement with experimental data. The approach captures anisotropic hardening, strain localization, and the influence of temperature on yield behavior, providing a robust predictive tool for warm forming and process design of Al-Li alloys. The integration of crystal plasticity modeling with experimental validation offers insights into microstructure–property relationships, enabling optimization of processing parameters for high-performance lightweight structural components.