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Effects of Cold Rolling on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of High-Zn-Content Al-Zn-Mg-Sc Alloys

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Abstract

In this study, the effects of chemical composition and process routes on the microstructure and mechanical properties of high-Zn-content Al-Zn-Mg-Sc alloys were investigated. Aging led to the formation of nano-sized Zn phases in the grain interior and large Zn phases at the grain boundary (GB) or Al/Al3Sc interfaces in the Al-20Zn-0.5Mg-0.5Sc (20Zn-0.5Mg) alloy, and cold rolling before aging (Pre-CR) could accelerate this precipitation. Compared with the 20Zn-0.5Mg alloy, the Al-15Zn-1Mg-0.5Sc (15Zn-1Mg) alloy exhibited a more difficult Zn phase precipitation during aging, and only pre-CR could lead to the formation of intracrystalline Zn phases in this alloy during artificial aging. The transition of the η′ phases into η phases without coarsening of Zn phases occurred at the GB or Al/Al3Sc interfaces of the 15Zn-1Mg alloy during artificial aging. Pre-CR could improve the mechanical properties of high-Zn-content Al-Zn-Mg-Sc alloys, and the significant evolution of Zn phases in the 20Zn-0.5Mg alloy during processing in different routes conferred this alloy a wider range of mechanical properties than the 15Zn-1Mg alloy.

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The raw/processed data required to reproduce these findings could not be shared at this time as the data also form part of an ongoing study.

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Acknowledgments

This work was funded by the Guangxi Natural Science Foundation (No. 2022GXNSFAA035580).

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  1. Key Laboratory of New Processing Technology for Nonferrous Metal and Materials, Ministry of Education, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China

    J. J. Xiao, C. Y. Liu & K. Cao

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  1. J. J. Xiao
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Xiao, J.J., Liu, C.Y. & Cao, K. Effects of Cold Rolling on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of High-Zn-Content Al-Zn-Mg-Sc Alloys. J. of Materi Eng and Perform 33, 1250–1261 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-023-08046-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-023-08046-6

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