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.

Effect of Rare Earth on Superplasticity of Zn-5Al Eutectic Alloy

The superplastic deformation curves of Zn 5Al eutectic alloy containing small amount of rare earth were measured, and the influence of rare earth on structure and superplasticity characteristics of the alloy was examined with optical microscope, XDF and TEM. The results show that the elongation of Zn 5Al eutectic alloy can be increased if less than 0.2 %(mass fraction) misch metal was added. Rare earth which exists in the form of compounds Al 2CeZn 2 and CeZn 3 can refrain the dissolution and diffusion of Zn to Al and postpone the saturation of the diffusion dissolution zone(DDZ) above 350 ℃, and in such a way boost up α/β interface sliding which benefits the superplasticity.

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.

Production of high strength Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys by spray forming process

High strength Al Zn Mg Cu alloys were produced by spray forming process, and compacted by hot extrusion. The results show that the as deposited billets have fine grained microstructure and low porosity. After heat treatment, mechanical properties increase greatly: tensile strength up to 754 MPa, yield strength up to 722 MPa, fracture elongation up to 8%, and elastic modulus up to 72 GPa, respectively. [

Effect of heat treatment on mechanical and wear properties of Zn−40Al−2Cu−2Si alloy

In order to determine the effect of heat treatment on the mechanical and wear properties of Zn−40Al−2Cu−2Si alloy,different heat treatments including homogenization followed by air-cooling(H1),homogenization followed by furnace-cooling(H2),stabilization(T5)and quench−aging(T6 and T7)were applied.The effects of these heat treatments on the mechanical and tribological properties of the alloy were studied by metallography and,mechanical and wear tests in comparison with SAE 65 bronze.The wear tests were performed using a block on cylinder type test apparatus.The hardness,tensile strength and compressive strength of the alloy increase by the application of H1 and T6 heat treatments,and all the heat treatments except T6,increase its elongation to fracture.H1,T5 and T6 heat treatments cause a reduction in friction coefficient and wear volume of the alloy.However,this alloy exhibits the lowest friction coefficient and wear volume after T6 heat treatment.Therefore,T6 heat treatment appears to be the best process for the lubricated tribological applications of this alloy at a pressure of 14 MPa.However,Zn−40Al−2Cu−2Si alloy in the as-cast and heat-treated conditions shows lower wear loss or higher wear resistance than the bronze.

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.

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.

Fine-grained Mg−1Mn−0.5Al−0.5Ca−0.5Zn alloy with high strength and good ductility fabricated by conventional extrusion

Mg−1Mn−0.5Al−0.5Ca−0.5Zn(wt.%)alloy was fabricated by conventional extrusion at 673 K with an extrusion ratio of 25:1,followed by aging at 473 K.The microstructure was characterized by scanning electron microscopy,electron back-scattered diffraction,and transmission electron microscopy.The mechanical properties were determined by the tensile test.The peak-aged sample shows fine recrystallized grains with an average grain size of 1.7μm.Area fraction of Al−Ca particles in the alloy increases significantly after peak aging.Meanwhile,botháañandác+añdislocations were observed to remain in the alloy after hot extrusion.Thus,the peak-aged sample exhibits simultaneously high strength and good ductility with the ultimate tensile stress,tensile yield stress,and tension fracture elongation of 320 MPa,314 MPa,and 19.0%,respectively.

Effect of non-isothermal aging on microstructure and properties of Al−5.87Zn−2.07Mg−2.42Cu alloys

The evolution of microstructure and properties of Al−5.87Zn−2.07Mg−2.42Cu alloys during non-isothermal aging was studied.The mechanical properties of the alloy were tested by stretching at room temperature.The results show that in the non-isothermal aging process,when the alloy is cooled to 140℃,the ultimate tensile strength of the alloy reaches a maximum value of 582 MPa and the elongation is 11.9%.The microstructure was tested through a transmission electron microscope,and the experimental results show that the GP zones andη'phases are the main strengthening precipitates.At the cooling stage,when the temperature dropped to 180℃,the GP zones were precipitated again.Besides,the experimental results show that the main strengthening phase during non-isothermal aging isη'phases.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of squeeze-cast Al−5.0Mg−3.0Zn−1.0Cu alloys in solution-treated and aged conditions

The microstructure and mechanical properties at different depths of squeeze-cast,solution-treated and aged Al−5.0Mg−3.0Zn−1.0Cu alloy were investigated.For squeeze-cast alloy,from casting surface to interior,the grain size ofα(Al)matrix and width of T-Mg32(AlZnCu)49 phase increase significantly,while the volume fraction of T phase decreases.The related mechanical properties including ultimate tensile strength(UTS)and elongation decrease from 243.7 MPa and 2.3%to 217.9 MPa and 1.4%,respectively.After solution treatment at 470℃ for 36 h,T phase is dissolved into matrix,and the grain size increases so that the UTS and elongation from surface to interior are respectively reduced from 387.8 MPa and 18.6%to 348.9 MPa and 13.9%.After further peak-aging at 120℃ for 24 h,numerous G.P.II zone andη′phase precipitate in matrix.Consequently,UTS values of the surface and interior increase to 449.5 and 421.4 MPa,while elongation values decrease to 12.5%and 8.1%,respectively.

Effect of compression ratio on microstructure evolution of Mg−10%Al−1%Zn−1%Si alloy prepared by SIMA process

A new Mg−10%Al−1%Zn−1%Si alloy with non-dendritic microstructure was prepared by strain induced melt activation(SIMA)process.The effect of compression ratio on the evolution of semisolid microstructure of the experimental alloy was investigated.The results indicate that the average size ofα-Mg grains decreases and spheroidizing tendency becomes more obvious with the compression ratios increasing from 0 to 40%.In addition,the eutectic Mg2Si phase in the Mg−10%Al−1%Zn−1%Si alloy transforms completely from the initial fishbone shape to globular shape by SIMA process.With the increasing of compression ratio,the morphology and average size of Mg2Si phases do not change obviously.The morphology modification mechanism of Mg2Si phase in Mg−10%Al−1%Zn−1%Si alloy by SIMA process was also studied.

Microscopic phase-field study on aging behavior of Ni_(75)Al_(17)Zn_8 alloy

The precipitating kinetics of Ni75Al17Zn8 alloy was studied at both 873K and 973K by microscopic phase-field model.The calculation results show that the order-disorder transformation experiences the matrix→lowly-ordered L10 phase→L12 phase at 973 K.And the nucleation of L12 particles belongs to the spinodal decomposition mechanism.As temperature increases,orderings of Al and Zn atoms are resisted,but coarsening of L12 particles is promoted.The value of coarsening kinetic exponents approaches to 1/2.In addition,the discussions about Ni-Al anti-site defect and Zn substitutions for Ni site and Al site exhibit that the higher the temperature,the more distinctive the Ni-Al anti-site defect,but the less the Zn substitution.

Tailoring phase fractions of T'and η' phases in dual-phase strengthened Al−Zn−Mg−Cu alloy via ageing treatment

Hardness tests and transmission electron microscopy were used to investigate the strategy of tailoring the phase fraction of precipitates in an Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy strengthened by T’ and η’ phases. Different phase fractions of T’ and η’ phases are presented in samples subjected to either single or two stages of ageing treatments at 120 and 150 ℃.For both types of ageing, the precipitation of η’ phase is found to be promoted by ageing at lower temperature and its phase fraction increases with prolonging ageing time at 120 ℃;whereas the phase fractions of T’ and η’ phases almost remain constant during ageing at 150 ℃. Besides, the strain fields produced by T’ and η’ phases were analyzed by using the geometric phase analysis technique, and on a macroscale the contributions of T’ and η’ phases to precipitation strengthening have been quantitatively predicted by combining the size, phase fraction and number density of precipitates.

Influence of Si Contents on the Microstructure Evolution and Mechanical Properties of Al-Mg-Si-Cu-Zn Alloys

The influence of different Si contents on the microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of Al⁃Mg⁃Si⁃Cu⁃Zn alloys was systematically studied using tensile testing,OM,SEM,EDS,and EBSD.The results indicate that the grain size of as⁃cast alloys was gradually reduced with the increase of the Si content,which mainly resulted from the formation of many iron⁃rich phases and precipitates during the casting process.During homogenization treatment,the plate⁃likeβ⁃AlFeSi phases in the alloy with a higher Si content easily transformed to the sphericalα⁃Al(FeMn)Si phases,which is helpful for improving the formability of alloys.The microstructure evolution of the alloys was also greatly dependent on the content of Si that the number density and homogeneous distribution level of precipitates in the final cold rolled alloys both increased with the increase of the Si content,which further provided a positive effect on the formation of fine recrystallization grains during the subsequent solution treatment.As a result,the yield strength,ultimate tensile strength,and elongation of the pre⁃aged alloys in the direction of 45°with respect to the rolling direction were all increased with increasing Si content.

Effect of multi-pass multi-directional forging on tribological properties of Si-rich eutectoid ZA alloys

The effect of multi-pass multi-directional forge(MDF)on the tribological properties of ZA22−xSi alloy(x=0,4,8 wt.%)was investigated.The results indicate that MDF breaks down the cast microstructure of alloys and produces a well-modified microstructure comprising finely distributed α- and η-phases and primary Si particles.It is also found that,despite the matrix work softening,MDFed ZA22−xSi alloys show high wear resistance.The maximum wear resistance is observed in the five-pass MDFed ZA22−4Si sample,at the applied loads of 10 and 30 N,and its wear rates are lower than the wear rate of the as-cast ZA22 alloy by about 80% and 75%,respectively.MDF also significantly decreases both average friction coefficient and friction coefficient fluctuation of the sample.The high resistance of the substrate to microcracking,formation of hard Si reinforcements,fine redistribution of α- and η-phases in the microstructure,and formation of tribolayers rich in Al and Zn oxides can be considered as the main factors improving the tribological properties.

Fatigue strength and microstructure evaluation of Al 7050 alloy wires recycled by spray forming,extrusion and rotary swaging

Recycled high-strength aluminum alloys have limited use as structural materials due to poor mechanical properties. Spray forming remelting followed by hot extrusion is a promising route for reprocessing 7 xxx alloys. The 7050 alloy machining chips were spray formed, hot extruded, rotary swaged and heat-treated in order to improve mechanical properties. Microstructures, tensile properties and fatigue strength results for a 2.7 mm-diameter recycled wire are presented. Secondary phases and precipitates were investigated by XRD, SEM, EBSD, TEM and DSC. As-swaged and heat-treated(solution and aging) conditions were evaluated. Mechanical properties of both conditions outperformed AA7050 aerospace specification. Substantial grain refinement resulted from the extensive plastic deformation imposed by rotary swaging. Refined micrometric and sub-micrometric Al grains, as well as coarse and fine intermetallic precipitates were observed. Subsequent solution treatment resulted in a homogeneous, recrystallized and equiaxed microstructure with grain size of 9 μm. Nanoscale GP(I) zones and η′ phase precipitates formed after aging at 120 ℃, imparting higher tensile(586 MPa) and fatigue(198 MPa) strengths.

Creep aging behavior of retrogression and re-aged 7150 aluminum alloy

Creep aging behavior of retrogression and re-aged(RRAed)7150 aluminum alloy(AA7150)was systematically investigated using the creep aging experiments,mechanical properties tests,electrical conductivity tests and transmission electron microscope(TEM)observations.Creep aging results show that the steady-state creep mechanism of RRAed alloys is mainly dislocation climb(stress exponent≈5.8),which is insensitive to the grain interior and boundary precipitates.However,the total creep deformation increases over the re-aging time.In addition,the yield strength and tensile strength of the four RRAed samples are essentially the same after creep aging at 140℃ for 16 h,but the elongation decreases slightly with the re-aging time.What’s more,the retrogression and re-aging treatment are beneficial to increase the hardness and electrical conductivity of the creep-aged 7150 aluminum alloy.It can be concluded that the retrogression and re-aging treatment before creep aging forming process can improve the microstructure within grain and at grain boundary,forming efficiency and comprehensive performance of mechanical properties and electrical conductivity of 7150 aluminum alloy.

Tribological behavior of friction stir processed SiP/ZA40 in-situ composites

The effect of friction stir processing(FSP)at different rotation speeds(400,630,800,and 1000 r/min)and traverse speeds(25 and 50 mm/min)on the tribological properties of a Si particle reinforced Zn−40Al−2Cu-based in-situ composite was investigated.After preliminary optimization,800 r/min and 25 mm/min were selected as optimum FSP parameters.According to the results,multi-pass FSP improved the tribological properties.For instance,at an applied pressure of 0.75 MPa,the wear rate and average coefficient of friction(COF)of four-pass FSPed composite were lower than those of base composite by 53%and 50%,respectively.SEM examinations of worn surfaces,wear debris,and worn subsurfaces revealed that the intensive refinement and uniform distribution of microstructural phases,especially the coarse Si particles,reduced Si particles interspacing,and elimination of casting defects were the most important factors enhancing the substrate resistance against sliding-induced deformation.This led to the formation of stable tribolayers that improved the tribological properties.