The objective of the research is to develop a model to predict phenomena leading to poor formability in A1-Mg alloys based on the underlying deformation mechanisms. Magnesium is added to aluminum to improve strength properties but is found to also have a detrimental effect on formability. The microstructural mechanism responsible for the poor formability is a process called "dynamic strain aging." Dynamic strain aging results from fast diffusing solute atoms, such as magnesium, interacting with dislocations. These interactions lead to unsteady, collective motion of dislocations, within grains and across grain boundaries, resulting in unstable flow and hence poor formability. At the macroscopic level, a key defining manifestation of flow and hence poor formability. At the macroscopic level, a key defining manifestation of dynamic strain aging, is a negative strain rate sensitivity. Predicting this phenomenon and the resulting poor formability, based on microstructure events, is the primary objective of this work.***
