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Effects of Sc and Zr microalloying on the microstructure and mechanical properties of high Cu content 7xxx Al alloy

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Abstract

The effects of Sc and Zr microalloying on the microstructure and mechanical properties of a 7xxx Al alloy with high Cu content (7055) during casting, deformation, and heat treatment were investigated. The addition of Sc and Zr not only refined the grains but also transformed the θ-phase into the W-phase in the 7055 alloy. Minor Sc and Zr additions enhanced the hardness and yield strength of the 7055-T6 alloy by strengthening the grain boundaries and Al3(Sc,Zr) precipitates. However, a further increase in the Sc and Zr fractions did not refine the grains but instead resulted in the formation of the large-sized W-phase and primary coarse Al3(Sc,Zr) phase and subsequently deteriorated the mechanical properties of the alloys. The 7055 alloy with 0.25Sc addition exhibited the best mechanical property among the prepared alloys.

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Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51601045), the Guangxi Natural Science Foundation (No. 2016GXNSFDA380028), and the Guangxi Science and Technology Major Project (No. GKAA17202007).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Material Science and Engineering, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China

    Chong-yu Liu, Guang-biao Teng, Li-li Wei & Yong Chen

  2. Guangdong JMA Aluminum Profile Factory (Group) Co., Ltd., Foshan, 528200, China

    Guang-biao Teng

  3. Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, China

    Zong-yi Ma

  4. State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, 066004, China

    Bing Zhang

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  1. Chong-yu Liu
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Correspondence to Chong-yu Liu or Zong-yi Ma.

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Liu, Cy., Teng, Gb., Ma, Zy. et al. Effects of Sc and Zr microalloying on the microstructure and mechanical properties of high Cu content 7xxx Al alloy. Int J Miner Metall Mater 26, 1559–1569 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-019-1840-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-019-1840-7

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