| Abstract Scope |
In this study, we investigate electroplasticity in Ti-6Al-4V wires, i.e., the mechanism(s) of material deformation under concurrent mechanical and electrical load. An innovative force-controlled tensile tester, consisting of an electronic balance, piezo actuator, optical camera, infrared thermometer, and electric power supply, has been developed and utilized for the electro-thermo-mechanical characterization of fine wires. Ti-6Al-4V wires with 100-μm diameter have been selected to minimize the thermal effect associated with intrinsic Joule heating. Significantly reduced thermal effect has been validated by directly comparing experimentally measured temperatures using a non-contact IR thermometer to numerically predicted temperature profiles. Our experiments indicate that applied electrical current in a range of 0–20 A/mm2 results in reduction in yield strength and failure strain of the wire as well as the brittle-to-ductile transition. The observed changes in mechanical responses of Ti-6Al-4V wires match well with previous reported thermo-mechanical results, indicating that the thermal effect is still dominant. |