Yield stress measurements on an Al-1.5% Mg alloy with submicron grain size using a miniature bending procedure

An Al-1.5% Mg solid solution alloy was produced with a submicron grain size of ≈ 0.2-0.5 μm by introducing intense plastic deformation through torsion straining. Tests were conducted to determine the yield stress of the alloy using a miniaturized bending procedure. Parallel tests were conducted using an Al-3% Mg alloy with a large grain size of ≈ 500 μm. The results demonstrate the feasibility both of producing a submicrometer-grained structure in an Al-1.5% Mg alloy by torsion straining and of obtaining a reasonable measure of the yield stress using a miniature testing facility.