Superplasticity

Superplasticity is a property of plastic deformation at high temperatures ( $T⩾\mathrm{0,5}{T}_f$ where T _f is the melting temperature of the metal expressed in kelvins) of a polycrystalline material characterized by significant elongation at break that can exceed 1,000% during a tensile test. This high deformation stability is exploited for thermoforming parts that are often complex and difficult to shape using other techniques. Superplastic forming thus has many applications, particularly in aeronautics, thanks to the use of titanium and aluminum alloys.

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