Failure analysis of fusion clad alloy system AA3003/AA6xxx sheet under bending

An ingot of AA6xxx Al–Si–Mg–Cu alloy clad with AA3003 Al–Mn alloy was co-cast by Fusion technology. Bending tests and numerical modeling were performed to investigate the potential for sub-surface cracking for this laminate system. To simulate particle-induced crack initiation and growth, both random and stringer particles have been selected to mimic the particle distribution in the tested samples. The morphology of cracking in the model was similar to that observed in clad sheet tested in the Cantilever bend test. The crack initiated in the core close to the clad-core interface where the strain in the core is highest, between particles or near particles and propagates along local shear bands in the core, while the clad layer experiences extreme thinning before failure.