Time-temperature-property curves for quench sensitivity of 6063 aluminum alloy

The quench sensitivity of 6063 alloy was investigated via constructing time-temperature-property（TTP） curves by interrupted quenching technique and transmission electron microscopy（TEM） analysis.The results show that the quench sensitivity of 6063 alloy is lower than that of 6061 or 6082 alloy,and the critical temperature ranges from 300 to 410℃ with the nose temperature of about 360℃.From TEM analysis,heterogeneous precipitate β-Mg2Si is prior to nucleate on the（AlxFeySiz） dispersoids in the critical temperature range,and grows up most rapidly at the nose temperature of 360℃.The heterogeneous precipitation leads to a low concentration of solute,which consequently reduces the amount of the strengthening phase β＇＇ after aging.In the large-scale industrial production of 6063 alloy,the cooling rate during quenching should be enhanced as high as possible in the quenching sensitive temperature range（410-300℃） to suppress the heterogeneous precipitation to get optimal mechanical properties,and it should be slowed down properly from the solution temperature to 410℃ and below 300℃ to reduce the residual stress.

Quench sensitivity of Al-Cu-Mg alloy thick plate

The quench sensitivity of Al-Cu-Mg alloy was investigated at different thicknesses of the thick plate.The quenching process was simulated via finite element analysis(FEA);time-temperature-property(TTP)curves and time-temperature-transformation(TTT)curves were obtained through hardness test and differential scanning calorimetry(DSC)test;and the microstructural observation was carried out by scanning electron microscopy(SEM)and transmission electron microscopy(TEM).Experimental results exhibit that the quench cooling rate decreases dramatically from the surface to the center of the plate,and the inhomogeneous quenching causes the difference in microstructure.With the decrease in quench cooling rate,constituent particles are coarsening gradually;the quantity of T-phase(Al_(20)Cu_(2)Mn_(3))increases and the S-phase(Al_(2)Cu Mg)decreases.According to the precipitation kinetics analysis,the decrease in S-phase is caused by the increase in precipitate activation energy.So that the center of the plate shows the highest quenching sensitivity,which is consistent with the analysis of time-temperature-property curves and time-temperature-transformation curves.

Prediction of properties distribution of 7B50 alloy thick plates after quenching and aging by quench factor analysis method

In the present work,continuous cooling curves were accurately measured by the modified Jominy specimen of 7B50 alloy during water-spray quenching tests.Besides,the time-temperature-properties(TTP) curves of this alloy were obtained during isothermal treatments.Based on the accurate cooling curves and TTP curves,the hardness distribution along the thickness direction of 7B50 alloy thick plates was predicted by quench factor analysis method.It is found that the quench sensitive temperature range of 7B50 alloy is 240-410℃,the nose temperature is 335℃,and the incubation period at the nose temperature is about 0.87 s.When 7B50 alloy was isothermal treated at 180-400℃ after solid solution treatment(470℃ for 1 h followed by 483℃ for 2 h),the exponent(n) in the Johnson-Mehl-Avrami equation is close to 1 until transformed fraction of new precipitates is up to 60%,indicating that new precipitates first grow into rodlike shape and then coarsen or thicken.When the distance is less than 65 mm from the spray quenching surface of the modified Jominy specimen,the deviation between the predicted and measured hardness is less than 2.7%,confirming the quench factor analysis method as the feasible way to predict the hardness distribution along the thickness direction of 7B50 alloy thick plates.When the distance from the spray quenching surface is 25 mm,the average cooling rate in quench sensitive temperature range is 9.93 ℃·s^-1,while the quench factor(τ) is 9.89 and the corresponding predicted hardness is HV 185.1 equivalent to 97.3% of the maximum measured hardness of 7B50 alloy in T6 temper.