Effect of characteristics and distribution of Mg_(17)Al_(12)precipitates on tensile and bending properties of high-Al-containing Mg alloys

This study investigates the effect of characteristics and distribution of Mg_(17)Al_(12)precipitates on the uniaxial tensile and three-point bending properties of extruded Mg alloys containing high Al contents.The extruded Mg–9Al–1Zn–0.3Mn(AZ91)alloy contains lamellar-structured Mg_(17)Al_(12)discontinuous precipitates along the grain boundaries,which are formed via static precipitation during natural air cooling.The extruded Mg–11Al–1Zn–0.3Mn(AZ111)alloy contains spherical Mg_(17)Al_(12)precipitates at the grain boundaries and inside the grains,which are formed via dynamic precipitation during extrusion.Due to inhomogeneous distribution of precipitates,the AZ111 alloy consists of two different precipitate regions:precipitate-rich region with numerous precipitates and finer grains and precipitate-scarce region with a few precipitates and coarser grains.The AZ111 alloy exhibits a higher tensile strength than the AZ91 alloy because its smaller grain size and more abundant precipitates result in stronger grain-boundary hardening and precipitation hardening effects,respectively.However,the tensile elongation of the AZ111 alloy is lower than that of the AZ91 alloy because the weak cohesion between the dynamic precipitates and the matrix facilitates the crack initiation and propagation.During bending,a macrocrack initiates on the outer surface of bending specimen in both alloys.The AZ111 alloy exhibits higher bending yield strength and lower failure bending strain than the AZ91 alloy.The bending specimens of the AZ91 alloy have similar bending formability,whereas those of the AZ111 alloy exhibit considerable differences in bending formability and crack propagation behavior,depending on the distribution and number density of precipitates in the specimen.In bending specimens of the AZ111 alloy,it is found that the failure bending strain(ε_(f,bending))is inversely proportional to the area fraction of precipitates in the outer zone of bending specimen(A_(ppt)),with a relationship ofε_(f,bending)=–0.1A_(ppt)+5.86.

Synergistic effect of gradient Zn content and multiscale particles on the mechanical properties of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys with coupling distribution of coarse-fine grains

This study investigated the influence of graded Zn content on the evolution of precipitated and iron-rich phases and grain struc-ture of the alloys,designed and developed the Al–8.0Zn–1.5Mg–1.5Cu–0.2Fe(wt%)alloy with high strength and formability.With the increase of Zn content,forming the coupling distribution of multiscale precipitates and iron-rich phases with a reasonable matching ratio and dispersion distribution characteristics is easy.This phenomenon induces the formation of cell-like structures with alternate distribu-tion of coarse and fine grains,and the average plasticity–strain ratio(characterizing the formability)of the pre-aged alloy with a high strength is up to 0.708.Results reveal the evolution and influence mechanisms of multiscale second-phase particles and the corresponding high formability mechanism of the alloys.The developed coupling control process exhibits considerable potential,revealing remarkable improvements in the room temperature formability of high-strength Al–Zn–Mg–Cu alloys.

Effect of cold rolling deformation on microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of spray formed Al−Zn−Mg−Cu−Cr alloys

The impact of cold rolling deformation,which was introduced after solid solution and before aging treatment,on microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of the as-extruded spray formed Al−9.8Zn−2.3Mg−1.73Cu−0.13Cr(wt.%)alloy,was investigated.SEM,TEM,and EBSD were used to analyze the microstructures,and tensile tests were conducted to assess mechanical properties.The results indicate that the D1-T6 sample,subjected to 25%cold rolling deformation,exhibits finer grains(3.35μm)compared to the D0-T6 sample(grain size of 4.23μm)without cold rolling.Cold rolling refines the grains that grow in solution treatment.Due to the combined effects of finer and more dispersed precipitates,higher dislocation density and smaller grains,the yield strength and ultimate tensile strength of the D1-T6 sample can reach 663 and 737 MPa,respectively.In comparison to the as-extruded and D0-T6 samples,the yield strength of the D1-T6 sample increases by 415 and 92 MPa,respectively.

Crack elimination and strength enhancement mechanisms of selective laser melted Si-modified Al−Mn−Mg−Er−Zr alloy

In order to increase the processability and process window of the selective laser melting(SLM)-fabricated Al−Mn−Mg−Er−Zr alloy,a novel Si-modified Al−Mn−Mg−Er−Zr alloy was designed.The effect of Si alloying on the surface quality,processability,microstructure,and mechanical properties of the SLM-fabricated alloy was studied.The results showed that introducing Si into the Al−Mn−Mg−Er−Zr alloy prevented balling and keyhole formation,refined the grain size,and reduced the solidification temperature,which eliminated cracks and increased the processability and process window of the alloy.The maximum relative density of the SLM-fabricated Si/Al−Mn−Mg−Er−Zr alloy reached 99.6%.The yield strength and ultimate tensile strength of the alloy were(371±7)MPa and(518±6)MPa,respectively.These values were higher than those of the SLM-fabricated Al−Mn−Mg−Er−Zr and other Sc-free Al−Mg-based alloys.

Effects of minor Sc and Zr additions on mechanical properties and microstructure evolution of Al−Zn−Mg−Cu alloys

The effects of minor Sc and Zr additions on the mechanical properties and microstructure evolution of Al Zn Mg Cu alloys were studied using tensile tests, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The ultimate tensile strength of the peak-aged Al Zn Mg Cu alloy is improved by about 105 MPa with the addition of 0.10% Zr. An increase of about 133 MPa is observed with the joint addition of 0.07% Sc and 0.07% Zr. For the alloys modified with the minor addition of Sc and Zr (0.14%), the main strengthening mechanisms of minor addition of Sc and Zr are fine-grain strengthening, sub-structure strengthening and the Orowan strengthening mechanism produced by the Al3(Sc,Zr) and Al3Zr dispersoids. The volume of Al3Zr particles is less than that of Al3(Sc,Zr) particles, but the distribution of Al3(Sc,Zr) particles is more dispersed throughout the matrix leading to pinning the dislocations motion and restraining the recrystallization more effectively.

Dynamic recrystallization,texture and mechanical properties of high Mg content Al−Mg alloy deformed by high strain rate rolling

The Al−Mg alloy with high Mg addition(Al−9.2Mg−0.8Mn−0.2Zr-0.15Ti,in wt.%)was subjected to different passes(1,2 and 4)of high strain rate rolling(HSRR),with the total thickness reduction of 72%,the rolling temperature of 400℃and strain rate of 8.6 s^(−1).The microstructure evolution was studied by optical microscope(OM),scanning electron microscope(SEM),electron backscattered diffraction(EBSD)and transmission electron microscope(TEM).The alloy that undergoes 2 passes of HSRR exhibits an obvious bimodal grain structure,in which the average grain sizes of the fine dynamic recrystallization(DRX)grains and the coarse non-DRX regions are 6.4 and 47.7mm,respectively.The high strength((507±9)MPa)and the large ductility((24.9±1.3)%)are obtained in the alloy containing the bimodal grain distribution.The discontinuous dynamic recrystallization(DDRX)mechanism is the prominent grain refinement mechanism in the alloy subjected to 2 passes of HSRR.

Microstructural evolution,flow stress and constitutive modeling of Al−1.88Mg−0.18Sc−0.084Er alloy during hot compression

To explore the hot compression behavior and microstructural evolution,fine-grained Al−1.88Mg−0.18Sc−0.084Er(wt.%)aluminum alloy wires were fabricated with Castex(continuous casting−extrusion)and ECAP-Conform,and their hot compression behavior was investigated at temperatures of 673−793 K and strain rates of 0.001−10 s−1;the microstructures were characterized by optical microscope,X-ray diffractometer,transmission electron microscope,and electron backscattered diffractometer,and the flow stresses were obtained by thermal compression simulator.Microstructural evolution and flow curves reveal that dynamic recovery is the dominant softening mechanism.Continuous dynamic recrystallization followed by dynamic grain growth takes place at a temperature of 773 K and a strain rate of 0.001 s−1;the yielding drop phenomenon was discovered.Hyperbolic sine constitutive equation incorporating dislocation variables was presented,and a power law constitutive equation was established.The stress exponent is 3.262,and the activation energy for deformation is 154.465 kJ/mol,indicating that dislocation viscous glide is the dominant deformation mechanism.

Effect of aging treatment on evolution of S'phase in rapid cold punched Al−Cu−Mg alloy

High-resolution transmission electron microscopy(TEM),X-ray diffractometer(XRD),and hardness test were used to study the evolution of long plate-shaped S'phase in the spray-formed fine-grained Al−Cu−Mg alloy during aging after rapid cold punching deformation.Results show that the long plate-shaped S'phase in the extruded Al−Cu−Mg alloy undergoes evident distortion,brittle failure,separation and redissolution,during rapid cold punching deformation,leading to the transformation of long plate-shaped S'phase into short rod or even redissolution and disappearance,causing the matrix to become a supersaturated solid solution.After the aging treatment,the reprecipitation of the phases occurs,and these aging phases are mainly long plate-shaped and granular.The incompletely dissolved S'phase acts as nucleation core,promoting uphill diffusion of the surrounding solute atoms.The S'phase gradually grows with increasing the aging time.The completely dissolved S'phase forms the incoherent equilibrium phase with the matrix to reduce its free energy.After rapid cold punching,the aging response of the deformed Al−Cu−Mg alloy is accelerated,and the hardness of the alloy is substantially increased.

Effect of Y on microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of Mg−4Li−3Al alloys

To obtain magnesium alloys with a low density and improved mechanical properties,Y element was added into Mg−4Li−3Al(wt.%)alloys,and the effect of Y content on microstructure evolution and mechanical properties was investigated by using optical microscopy,scanning electron microscopy and tensile tests.The results show that mechanical properties of as-cast Mg−4Li−3Al alloys with Y addition are significantly improved as a result of hot extrusion.The best comprehensive mechanical properties are obtained in hot-extruded Mg−4Li−3Al−1.5Y alloy,which possesses high ultimate tensile strength(UTS=248 MPa)and elongation(δ=27%).The improvement of mechanical properties of hot-extruded Mg−4Li−3Al−1.5Y alloy was mainly attributed to combined effects of grain refinement,solid solution strengthening and precipitation strengthening.

Thermal stability and precipitate microstructures of Al−Si−Mg−Er alloy

The effect of Er on the microhardness and precipitation behavior of the heat-treated Al−Si−Mg alloy was investigated by microhardness tester and TEM.As a comparison,the influence of natural aging was also studied.It is shown that the thermal stability of the over-aged Al−Si−Mg−Er alloy is highly related to the average size of the precipitates.The average size ofβ''precipitates in Al−Si−Mg−Er alloy is smaller than that in Al−Si−Mg alloy,and the distribution is more localized under condition of without introducing natural aging.However,when natural aging is introduced before artificial aging,the Al−Si−Mg−Er alloy has similar average size and distribution of precipitates with the Al−Si−Mg alloy,resulting in similar mechanical properties.The effect of Er on the precipitation kinetics in the alloy was also discussed in detail to explain these phenomena.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of Al−Mg−Si alloy U-shaped profile

To get a full understanding of hot extrusion,solid solution treatment and aging process on the Al−0.56Mg−0.63Si alloy,the microstructure and mechanical properties of a U-shaped profile were studied through optical microscopy,scanning electrical microscopy,transmission electrical microscopy,hardness,and tensile tests.The coarse equiaxed grains existed near the profile edge as a result of the dynamic recrystallization nucleation and exceeding growth during hot extrusion.The fibrous deformed and sub-structured grains located between the two coarse grain layers,due to the occurrence of work-hardening and dynamic recovery.Perpendicular needle β′′precipitates were distributed inside the grain,and obvious precipitates-free zone appeared after aging treatment.The tensile strength,yield strength and elongation of the aged Al−Mg−Si alloy U-shaped profile were no less than 279.4 MPa,258.6 MPa,and 21.6%,respectively.The fracture morphology showed dimple rupture characteristics.The precipitates and grain boundaries played key role in the strengthening contribution.

Relationship between amounts of low-melting-point eutectics and hot tearing susceptibility of ternary Al−Cu−Mg alloys during solidification

A systematical study on the relationship between the amounts of different eutectic phases especially the low-melting-point(LMP)eutectics and the hot tearing susceptibility of ternary Al−Cu−Mg alloys during solidification was performed.By controlling the concentrations of major alloying elements(Cu,Mg),the amounts of LMP eutectics at the final stages of solidification were varied and the corresponding hot tearing susceptibility(HTS)was determined.The results showed that the Al−4.6Cu−0.4Mg(wt.%)alloy,which contained the smallest fraction of LMP eutectics among the investigated alloys,was observed to be the most susceptible to hot tearing.With the amount of total residual liquid being approximately the same in the alloys,the hot tearing resistance is considered to be closely related to the amounts of LMP eutectics.Specifically,the higher the amount of LMP eutectics was,the lower the HTS of the alloy was.Further,the potential mechanism of low HTS for alloys with high amounts of LMP eutectics among ternary Al−Cu−Mg alloys was discussed in terms of feeding ability and permeability as well as total viscosity evolution during solidification.

Quench sensitivity and microstructures of high-Zn-content Al−Zn−Mg−Cu alloys with different Cu contents and Sc addition

The Zn,Cu,and Sc contents of 7xxx Al alloys were adjusted according to the chemical composition of a 7085 Al alloy,and the effects of Zn and Cu contents and Sc addition on the microstructures,hardness,and quench sensitivity of the 7xxx Al alloys were studied.The alloys with high Zn content and Sc addition exhibited higher hardness than the 7085 alloy at the position 3 mm away from the quenching end.The density ofηand T phases increased with the increase in Zn and Cu contents,and the Sc addition led to the formation of the Y phase and moreηphases at the position 120 mm away from the quenching end.Compared with the 7085 alloy,the high Zn−high Cu and Sc-added alloys exhibited higher quench sensitivity,while the simultaneous increase in Zn content and decrease in Cu content could enhance the hardness and reduce the quench sensitivity of the 7085 alloy.

Theoretical design and distribution control of precipitates and solute elements in Al−Zn−Mg−Cu alloys with heterostructure

In order to simultaneously improve strength and formability,an analytical model for the concentration distribution of precipitates and solute elements is established and used to theoretically design and control the heterogeneous microstructure of Al−Zn−Mg−Cu alloys.The results show that the dissolution of precipitates is mainly affected by particle size and heat treatment temperature,the heterogeneous distribution level of solute elements diffused in the alloy matrix mainly depends on the grain size,while the heat treatment temperature only has an obvious effect on the concentration distribution in the larger grains,and the experimental results of Al−Zn−Mg−Cu alloy are in good agreement with the theoretical model predictions of precipitates and solute element concentration distribution.Controlling the concentration distribution of precipitates and solute elements in Al−Zn−Mg−Cu alloys is the premise of accurately constructing heterogeneous microstructure in micro-domains,which can be used to significantly improve the formability of Al−Zn−Mg−Cu alloys with a heterostructure.

Effect of pre-straining on structure and formation mechanism of precipitates in Al−Mg−Si−Cu alloy

The effect of pre-straining on the structure and formation mechanism of precipitates in an Al−Mg−Si−Cu alloy was systematically investigated by atomic resolution high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy(HAADF-STEM).Elongated and string-like precipitates are formed along the dislocations in the pre-strained Al−Mg−Si−Cu alloy.The precipitates formed along the dislocations exhibit three features:non-periodic atomic arrangement within the precipitate;Cu segregation occurring at the precipitate/α(Al)interface;different orientations presented in one individual precipitate.Four different formation mechanisms of these heterogeneous precipitates were proposed as follows:elongated precipitates are formed independently in the dislocation;string-like precipitates are formed directly along the dislocations;different precipitates encounter to form string-like precipitates;precipitates are connected by other phases or solute enrichment regions.These different formation mechanisms are responsible for forming different atomic structures and morphologies of precipitates.

Grain refinement of Mg−Al binary alloys inoculated by in-situ oxidation

Utilizing oxide inclusion to induce heterogeneous nucleation event is an available method to achieve grain refinement.In this study,Mg−Al binary alloys were refined by inoculation of in-situ oxidation process.Results show that MgO and MgAl_(2)O_(4) phases are primary oxide products for Mg−xAl alloys inoculated by in-situ oxidation.For pure Mg and Mg−1Al alloy,MgO is the only oxide product.MgAl_(2)O_(4) is another oxide product for Mg−xAl alloy as Al content increases to 3 wt.%.For Mg−3Al alloy,average grain size significantly decreases from 1135 to 237μm,with a high grain refining ratio of 79.1%.Both MgO and MgAl_(2)O_(4) possess nucleating potency forα-Mg grain.MgAl_(2)O_(4) exhibits a higher nucleating potency due to the lower misfit withα-Mg.The grain refinement of Mg−xAl alloys inoculated by in-situ oxidation process is attributed to heterogeneous nucleation events ofα-Mg grains on MgO or MgAl_(2)O_(4) particles.

Strong and ductile Al−Zn−Mg−Zr alloy obtained by equal angular pressing and subsequent aging

An ultrafine-grained Al−Zn−Mg−Zr alloy with superior mechanical performance was obtained by high passes of equal angular pressing(ECAP)and subsequent aging.After 8 ECAP passes and aging,the yield strength(YS)and ultimate tensile strength(UTS)of the solid-solutioned alloy are significantly improved from(98±10)and(226±7)MPa to(405±9)and(427±9)MPa,respectively.A large elongation is also maintained((17.4±2.5)%).The microstructure features including grain refinement,morphology of precipitates,and dislocation density,were revealed with multiscale characterizations,including transmission electron microscopy,electron backscattered diffraction,and X-ray diffraction.After 8 passes of ECAP,the original coarse elongated grains are refined to a unique bimodal grain structure consisting of ultrafine equiaxed and lath-like grains.Additionally,the effects of ECAP and subsequent aging on the strengthening contribution of a variety of strengthening mechanisms,such as dislocation strengthening and precipitation strengthening,were discussed in detail.

Relationship among solution heating rate,mechanical properties,microstructure and texture of Al−Mg−Si−Cu alloy

The relationship among heating rate, mechanical properties, microstructure and texture of Al-Mg-Si-Cu alloy during solution treatment was investigated through tensile test, scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffractometer and EBSD technology. The experimental results reveal that there is a non-monotonic relationship among solution heating rate, mechanical properties, microstructure and texture. As the solution heating rate increases, the strength variations are dependent on the tensile direction;work hardening exponent n decreases first, and then increases;plastic strain ratio r increases first, and then decreases, and finally increases. The final microstructure and texture are also affected by heating rate. As heating rate increases, the microstructure transforms from elongated grain structure to equiaxed grain structure, and the average grain size decreases first, and then increases, and decreases finally. Although the texture components including CubeND{001}<310> and P{011}<122> orientations almost have no change with the increase of heating rate, the texture intensity and volume fraction decrease first, and then increase, and finally decrease. Both microstructure and texture evolutions are weakly affected by heating rate. Improving heating rate is not always favorable for the development of fine equiaxed grain structure, weak texture and high average r value, which may be related to the recrystallization behavior.

Effect of rapid cold stamping on fracture behavior of long strip S′phase in Al−Cu−Mg alloy

High-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy and selected area electron diffraction techniques were used to study the mechanism that underlies the influence of rapid cold-stamping deformation on the fracture behavior of the elongated nanoprecipitated phase in extruded Al−Cu−Mg alloy.Results show that the interface between the long strip-shaped S′phase and the aluminum matrix in the extruded Al−Cu−Mg alloy is flat and breaks during rapid cold-stamping deformation.The breaking mechanisms are distortion and brittle failure,redissolution,and necking.The breakage of the long strip S′phase increases the contact surface between the S′phase and the aluminum matrix and improves the interfacial distortion energy.This effect accounts for the higher free energy of the S′phase than that of the matrix and creates conditions for the redissolution of solute atoms back into the aluminum matrix.The brittle S′phase produces a resolved step during rapid cold-stamping deformation.This step further accelerates the diffusion of solute atoms and promotes the redissolution of the S′phase.Thus,the S′phase necks and separates,and the long strip-shaped S′phase in the extruded Al−Cu−Mg alloy is broken into a short and thin S′phase.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of friction stir processed Al−Mg2Si alloys

The microstructure and mechanical properties of friction stir processed Al−Mg2Si alloys were studied by TEM and EBSD.The results showed that an increase in the tool rotation speed(300−700 r/min)led to a decrease in the defect area(from 10.5 mm2 to zero),whereas the defect area demonstrated the opposite trend(increased to 1.5 mm2 from zero)upon further increasing the rotation speed(700−1200 r/min).The types of defects were transformed from tunnel defects to fusion defects as the rotational speed increased.The coarse Mg2Si dendrites were broken and fine particles(smaller than 10mm)formed in the weld nugget(WN).The amount of low-angle grain boundaries increased significantly from 57.7%to 83.6%,which was caused by an increase in the content of the deformed structure(from 1.7%to 13.6%).The hardness,ultimate tensile strength(UTS)and elongation were all greatly improved for the weld nugget.The hardness values of the WNs had the following order:R300<R1200<R500<R900<R700.The UTS and elongation had the following order:BM(base material)<R300<R1200<R500<R900<R700.The UTS and the elongation for the WN were increased by one and three times,respectively.