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Shear loading reveals sixfold damage growth around stiff particles in aluminum alloy
The resistance of materials to mechanical loads is a decisive factor in component safety, such as in aircraft. Working as part of an international team, researchers from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have found a previously unknown damage mechanism in metals: Contamination in the form of stiff particles can cause the volume of voids to increase up to sixfold when exposed to deformation by shear loading.
The results of the study are particularly relevant to the ductility and safety of materials in recycling processes. The study is published in the International Journal of Plasticity.
Manufacturers of components should be aware of the loads to which materials will be exposed. Mechanical loads such as tension, pressure, bending or shear affect material behavior. In the case of shear loading, individual areas of the material are displaced relative to each other, inducing internal stress called shear stress.
So far, research has relied on the assumption that damage in materials would not increase significantly under shear loading, meaning that material failure under such loads could not be explained.
Now, scientists from the Institute for Photon Science and Synchrotron Radiation (IPS) and the Laboratory for Applications of Synchrotron Radiation (LAS) at KIT, together with colleagues from Mines Paris PSL University in France, have discovered a previously unknown damage mechanism in metals exposed to shear loading.
"Contamination in the form of stiff particles can induce significant damage growth under shear loading," said Dr. Mathias Hurst from the IPS. As an example, the researchers demonstrated this damage mechanism in an aluminum alloy especially well suited to the lightweight construction of transportation vehicles, particularly in the aircraft sector.
The study is therefore highly relevant to the ductility of materials, especially in the mobility and transportation industries. It is also important for recycling processes, as recycled metals often contain large numbers of intermetallic particles.
Synchrotron computed laminography and 3D simulation
To demonstrate damage growth under shear loading, the researchers combined imaging and simulation methods. They used synchrotron computed laminography (SR-CL), a method similar to computed tomography that was developed at KIT. It creates a high-resolution 3D representation of the inside of flat, wide objects.
The SR-CL method allows researchers to examine individual areas of centimeter-scale samples with a resolution in the micrometer range. The team also used advanced 3D simulation methods developed in collaboration with French scientists to study the identified damage in a model.
Stiff particles inhibit material movement and boost void growth
The researchers investigated an aluminum alloy (AA2198-T851) by exposing the material first to tensile loading and then to shear loading. The tensile stress induced voids in the material, and the team observed their continued growth under shear. This showed that the volume of voids that had developed at the intermetallic particles increased up to sixfold.
"Intermetallic particles are therefore a significant driver of damage growth under shear loading in metals," said Hurst. "The stiff particles inhibit material movement and boost void growth."
The findings provide new insights into damage mechanisms under shear loading and contribute to a better understanding of component failures when exposed to loads relevant to their application. This means that future components can be designed to be longer-lasting and lighter—an important contribution to safety and sustainability, particularly in the transportation sector.
More information
Mathias Hurst et al, Particle-induced void growth under shear loading revealed by 3D X-ray laminography and finite element modeling, International Journal of Plasticity (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.ijplas.2026.104724
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Citation: Shear loading reveals sixfold damage growth around stiff particles in aluminum alloy (2026, July 14) retrieved 14 July 2026 from https://phys.org/news/2026-07-reveals-sixfold-growth-stiff-particles.html
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