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Effect of Aging Treatment on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of As-Extruded AA6063 Aluminum Alloy

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Abstract

This study characterized the microstructure and mechanical properties of hot-extruded Al-Mg-Si AA6063 aluminum alloy during the non-isothermal aging stage through means such as microhardness testing and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) observation. The research focused on the organizational changes, precipitation, and hardening mechanisms during the non-isothermal aging process of Al-Mg-Si alloy. The results indicate that the alloy exhibits optimal performance under peak aging conditions at 170 °C for 8 h, with hardness and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) reaching 85.70 ± 2.65 HV and 186.24 ± 2.4 MPa, respectively. At this point, the predominant precipitate phase is the needle-like β″ phase (Mg5Si6), and the three-dimensional coherent strain at the interface between β″ phase and the Al matrix is identified as the main strengthening mechanism. Additionally, contributions to the alloy’s strength are observed from factors such as grain size, dislocations, and Mg2Si phases.

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Acknowledgments

This research work was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Sichuan Province of China(2022NSFSC0325) and State Key Laboratory of Long-life High-Temperature Materials (DTCC28EE200795).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of New Energy and Materials, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu, 610500, China

    Zihao Sui, Liangwen Liu, Zhiqiang Chang, Xing Yan & Mei Yang

  2. Sichuan Petroleum Construction Co. Ltd, Chengdu, 610000, China

    Yuan Zhang & Yang Li

  3. Hanzheng Testing Technology Co. Ltd, Deyang, 618000, China

    Ying Zhang

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  1. Zihao Sui
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Sui, Z., Liu, L., Chang, Z. et al. Effect of Aging Treatment on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of As-Extruded AA6063 Aluminum Alloy. J. of Materi Eng and Perform (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-024-09547-8

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