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Precipitation behavior and mechanical properties of Al–1.0Mg–0.6Si–Cu (wt.%) alloy controlled by Cu content

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Abstract

The precipitation and intergranular corrosion (IGC) behavior of Al–1.0Mg–0.6Si–Cu (wt.%) alloys with the addition of Cu ranged from 0.3 to 0.6 wt.% were investigated by optical microscope and transmission electron microscopy. The results indicated that the Cu addition significantly improves the hardness of the alloys during under-aging progress by accelerating the precipitation of GP zones. The addition of Cu has changed the composition of precipitation and facilitated the formation of β′′-Mg5Si6 precipitates with high density and fine distribution. When the Cu content is added to 0.6 wt.%, the type of precipitation has changed. In addition to the needle-shaped β′′ phase, a new-plate Q′ phase precipitated during peak-aging conditions. The 0.6 wt.% Cu alloy shows superior strength with tensile yield strength of 328 MPa, ultimate tensile strength of 368 MPa, and elongation of 16.0%. However, the IGC resistance decreased with the Cu content increasing from 0.3 to 0.6 wt.%, which mainly resulted from the segregation of Cu elements and the formation of continuous Q′ precipitates at the grain boundaries.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Beijing Natural Science Foundation [Grant No. 2202007], National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grant No. 91860113, Grant No. 51621003], and the Beijing Laboratory of Metallic Materials and Processing for Modern Transportation.

Funding

Natural Science Foundation of Beijing Municipality, 2202007, Zuoren Nie, Innovative Research Group Project of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, 91860113, Zuoren Nie, 51621003, Zuoren Nie.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Materials and Manufacturing, National Engineering Laboratory for Industrial Big-Data Application Technology, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100124, China

    Xingkai Hou, Peng Qi, Bolong Li, Shengping Wen, Wu Wei, Yutong Qi & Zuoren Nie

  2. Aerospace Research Institute of Materials and Processing Technology, Beijing, 100076, China

    Jiaming Yin

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Hou, X., Qi, P., Li, B. et al. Precipitation behavior and mechanical properties of Al–1.0Mg–0.6Si–Cu (wt.%) alloy controlled by Cu content. Appl. Phys. A 129, 281 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-023-06580-7

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