An analysis of the Portevin–Le Chatelier effect and cracking of CuSn6P alloy at elevated temperature of deformation applying the acoustic emission method

Abstract The paper concerns the application of the acoustic emission (AE) method for the determination of the mechanical properties of continuously cast industrial tin bronze CuSn6P, which reveals tendencies to unstable plastic flow connected particularly with the Portevin–Le Chatelier (PLC) effect. The relations between the jerky flow connected with the PLC effect, AE intensity and the evolution of a fracture of the investigated alloy subjected to the tensile and compression tests have been analyzed. It has been found that the intensity of the oscillation of stresses, observed on the curves σ – e , coincides with the effect of the instability of plastic deformation PLC type and the recorded signals of the intensity of acoustic emissions. It has also been found that the increase of the tensile temperature in the investigated alloy involves changes in the mechanism of cracking from transcrystalline ductile to brittle intercrystalline, characteristic at the temperature of minimum plasticity (DMT).