Abstract
The precipitation-hardening behavior of aluminum alloy AA6111 during artificial aging and the influence of prior natural aging on the aging behavior were investigated. The evolution of microstructure was studied using quantitative transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The evolution of the relative volume fraction of precipitates for the solution-treated alloy was determined using isothermal calorimetry and a new analysis based on the DSC technique. Quantitative TEM was also used to obtain the rate of precipitation of microscopically resolvable phases during aging at 180 °C. Three types of precipitates, i.e., unresolved Guinier-Preston (GP) zones, β″, and Q′, were found to form during aging at 180 °C. The evolution of yield strength was related to the evolution of microstructure. It was found that the high hardening rate during artificial aging for the solution-treated alloy is due to the rapid precipitation of the β″ phase. Natural aging prior to artificial aging was found to decrease the rate of precipitation of β″. The slow hardening rate for the naturally aged alloy was attributed to the slower nucleation and growth of β″ phase.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
P.E. Fortin, M.J. Bull, and D.M. Moore: SAE Int. Congr. Exp., Detroit, MI, 1983, SAE Paper no. 830096.
E.A. Starke, Jr. and A.A. Csontos: Proc. 6th Int. Conf. on Aluminum Alloys, Their Physical and Mechanical Properties, ICAA-6, Toyohashi, Japan, 1998, The Japan Institute of Light Metals, Tokyo, Japan, 1998, vol. 4, pp. 2077–88.
R. Dif, D. Bechet, T. Warner, and H. Ribes: Proc. 6th Int. Conf. on Aluminum Alloys, Their Physical and Mechanical Properties, ICAA-6, Toyohashi, Japan, 1998. The Japan Institute of Light Metals, Tokyo, Japan, 1998, vol. 3, pp. 1991–96.
R. Dif, B. Bès, T. Warner, P. Lequeu, H. Ribes, and P. Lassince: in Advances in the Metallurgy of Aluminum Alloys, M. Tiryakioglu, ed., ASM International, Materials Park, OH, 2001, pp. 390–97.
D.J. Lloyd: in Advances in Industrial Materials, D.S. Wilkinson and W.J. Poole, eds., Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum, Montreal, Canada, 1998, pp. 3–17.
D. Bryant: Metall. Mater. Trans. A, 1999, vol. 30A, pp. 1999–2006.
D.W. Pashley, J.W. Rhodes, and A. Sendorek: J. Inst. Met., 1996, vol. 94, pp. 41–49.
A.K. Gupta, P.H. Marois, and D.J. Lloyd: Mater. Sci. Forum, 1996, Vols. 217–222, pp. 801–08.
W.J. Poole, D.J. Lloyd, and J.D. Embury: Mater. Sci. Eng. A, 1997, vols. A234-A236, pp. 306–09.
D.J. Lloyd and A.K. Gupta: Thermec 97, Proc. Int. Conf. on Thermomechanical Processing of Steels and Other Materials, T. Chandra and T. Sakai, eds., TMS, Warrendale, PA, 1997, pp. 99–107.
W.F. Miao and D.E. Laughlin, Proc. Automotive Alloys 1999, electronic publication (www.tms.org), S.K. Das, ed., TMS, Warrendale, PA, 2000, pp. 223–38.
D.J. Lloyd, D.R. Evans, and A.K. Gupta: Can. Metall. Q., 2000, vol. 39, pp. 475–81.
S. Esmaeili, D.J. Lloyd, and W.J. Poole, Proc. Automotive Alloys 1999, electronic publication (www.tms.org), S.K. Das, ed., TMS, Warrendale, PA, 2000, pp. 143–52.
S. Esmaeili, W.J. Poole, and D.J. Lloyd: Advances in the Metallurgy of Aluminum Alloys, M. Tiryakioglu, ed., ASM INTERNATIONAL, Materials Park, OH, 2001, pp. 243–47.
D.B. Williams and C.B. Carter: Transmission Electron Microscopy, Plenum Press, New York, NY, 1996, vol. III, pp. 369–78.
P.B. Hirsch, A. Howie, R.B. Nicholson, D.W. Pashley, and M.J. Whelan: Electron Microscopy of Thin Crystals, 3rd ed., Robert E. Krieger Publishing Co., Huntington, NY, 1997, pp. 415–22.
X. Wang: McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada, unpublished results, 2001.
S.J. Andersen: Metall. Mater. Trans. A, 1995, vol. 26A, pp. 1931–37.
M. Vivas, P. Lours, C. Levaillant, A. Couret, M. Casanove, and A. Coujou: Proc. 6th Int. Conf. on Aluminum Alloys, Their Physical and Mechanical Properties, ICAA-6, Toyohashi, Japan, 1998, The Japan Institute of Light Metals, Tokyo, Japan, 1998, vol. 2, pp. 943–48.
E.E. Underwood: Quantitative Stereology, Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA, 1970, pp. 141–43.
S. Esmaeili: Ph.D. Thesis, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, 2002.
W.F. Miao and D.E. Laughlin: Metall. Mater. Trans. A, 2000, vol. 31A, pp. 361–71.
M. Murayama, K. Hono, W.F. Miao, and D.E. Laughlin: Metall. Mater. Trans. A, 2001, vol. 32A, pp. 239–46.
G.A. Edwards, K. Stiller, G.L. Dunlop, and M.J. Couper: Acta Mater., 1998, vol. 46 (11), pp. 3893–3904.
D. Bryant, H. Kung, and A. Misra: in Automotive Alloys II, S.K. Das, ed., TMS, Warrendale, PA, 1998, pp. 3–17.
W.F. Miao and D.E. Laughlin: J. Mater Sci. Lett., 2000, vol. 19 (3), pp. 201–03.
A. Perovic: McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada, private communication, 1999.
A.J. Ardell: Metall. Trans. A., 1985, vol. 16A, pp. 2131–65.
L.M. Brown and R.K. Ham: in Strengthening Methods in Crystals, A. Kelly and R.B. Nicholson, eds., John Wiley & Sons Inc., New York, NY, 1971, pp. 9–135.
S. Esmaeili, W.J. Poole, and D.J. Lloyd: Mater. Sci. Forum, 2000, vols. 331–337, pp. 995–1000.
S.J. Andersen, H.W. Zandbergen, J. Jansen, C. Traeholt, U. Tundal, and O. Reiso: Acta Mater., 1998, vol. 46 (9), pp 3283–98.
G.C. Weatherly, A. Perovic, N.K. Mukhopadhyay, D.J. Lloyd, and D.D. Perovic: Metall. Mater. Trans. A, 2001, vol. 32A, pp. 213–18.
J.M. Papazian: Metall. Trans. A, 1981, vol. 12A, pp. 269–80.
E. Donoso: Mater. Sci. Eng., 1985, vol. 54, pp. 39–46.
L. Zhuang, J.E. Janse, P. De Smet, J.H. Chen, and H.W. Zandbergen: Aluminum 2001, S.K. Das, J.G. Kaufman, and T.J. Lienert, eds., TMS, Warrendale, PA, 2001, pp. 77–91.
K. Matsuda, Y. Uetani, T. Sato, A. Kamio, and S. Ikeno: Mater. Sci. Forum, 2000, vols. 331–337, pp. 989–94.
M. Murayama and K. Hono: Acta Mater., 1999, vol. 47 (5), pp. 1537–48.
M. Murayama, K. Hono, M. Saga, and M. Kikuchi: Mater. Sci. Eng. A, 1998, vol. A250, pp. 127–32.
C.D. Marioara, S.J. Andersen, J. Jansen, and H.W. Zandbergen: Acta Mater., 2001, vol. 49, pp. 321–28.
A. Perovic, D.D. Perovic, G.C. Weatherly, and D.J. Lloyd: Scripta Mater., 1999, vol. 41, pp. 703–08.
W.F. Miao and D.E. Laughlin: Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, unpublished results, 2000.
K. Matsuda, Y. Uetani, T. Sato, and S. Ikeno: Metall. Mater. Trans. A, 2001, vol., 32A, pp. 1293–99.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
S. ESMAEILI, formerly Ph.D. Student, Department of Metals and Materials Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Esmaeili, S., Wang, X., Lloyd, D.J. et al. On the precipitation-hardening behavior of the Al−Mg−Si−Cu alloy AA6111. Metall Mater Trans A 34, 751–763 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-003-1003-2
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-003-1003-2