Superplasticity

Superplasticity is a high-temperature plastic deformation property ( where T _f is the melting temperature of the metal expressed in kelvins) of a polycrystalline material characterized by high elongations at break, which can exceed 1,000% in a tensile test. This high stability of deformation is used for thermoforming parts that are often complex and difficult to shape using any other technique. Superplastic forming has a wide range of applications, particularly in the aerospace industry, thanks to the use of titanium and aluminum alloys.

This article will deal with the fundamental aspects of superplasticity and detail the main families of materials that can exhibit this behavior. Some considerations on forming processes will also be presented.