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Effects of Germanium, Copper, and Silver Substitutions on Hardness and Microstructure in Lean Al-Mg-Si Alloys

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Abstract

It is shown that strength loss in a 6060 Al-Mg-Si alloy caused by reduction in solute can be compensated by adding back smaller quantities of Ag, Ge, and Cu. Nine alloys were investigated. Ge was found to be the most effective addition, strongly refining the precipitation. The hardness is discussed in terms of statistics of the precipitates near a T6 condition, as acquired by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Precipitates in some conditions were also investigated by high-angle annular dark-field scanning TEM. The added elements have strong influence on the main hardening precipitate, β″, changing its structure and promoting disorder.

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Acknowledgments

This work has been supported through the BIA RolEx Project No. 219371 by Hydro Aluminum and the Research Council of Norway. The contributors are greatly acknowledged for their support. The authors would also like to thank Birgitte Karlsen, SINTEF Materials and Chemistry for performing heat treatments and hardness measurements of the alloys.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), 7491, Trondheim, Norway

    Eva Anne Mørtsell (Ph.D. Student) & Randi Holmestad (Professor)

  2. SINTEF Materials and Chemistry, 7465, Trondheim, Norway

    Calin D. Marioara (Senior Researcher) & Sigmund J. Andersen (Senior Researcher)

  3. Hydro Aluminum R&D Sunndal, 6600, Sunndalsøra, Norway

    Jostein Røyset (Senior Project Engineer) & Oddvin Reiso (Professor II)

Authors
  1. Eva Anne Mørtsell
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  2. Calin D. Marioara
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  3. Sigmund J. Andersen
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  4. Jostein Røyset
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  5. Oddvin Reiso
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  6. Randi Holmestad
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Correspondence to Eva Anne Mørtsell.

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Manuscript submitted February 6, 2015.

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Mørtsell, E.A., Marioara, C.D., Andersen, S.J. et al. Effects of Germanium, Copper, and Silver Substitutions on Hardness and Microstructure in Lean Al-Mg-Si Alloys. Metall Mater Trans A 46, 4369–4379 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-015-3039-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-015-3039-5

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