Influence of Pre-deformation on Aging Precipitation Behavior of Three Al–Cu–Li Alloys

The influence of pre-deformation on aging precipitates of three near peak-aged Al–Cu–Li alloys,1460 alloy with a low Cu/Li ratio(1.46),2050 alloy with a high Cu/Li ratio(4.51) and 2A96 alloy with a medium Cu/Li ratio(2.97),was investigated.The strength of the aged alloys is enhanced by the pre-deformation.The effectiveness of pre-deformation on precipitates is dependent on the alloy's composition.With increasing the pre-deformation,the population density of T1(Al_2Cu Li) precipitates increases in all three Al–Cu–Li alloys and their diameter decreases in 2050 and 2A96 alloys,and the greatest effectiveness is observed in 2A96 alloy.The pre-deformation also increases the population density of θ'(Al_2Cu)precipitates and decreases their diameter in 2050 and 2A96 Al–Li alloys,but the effectiveness is smaller compared to that on T1 precipitates.In 1460 alloy subjected to two-step aging at 130 °C for 20 h followed by 160 °C for 12 h,the main precipitates are δ'(Al_3Li).At 2%–6% pre-deformation,GP-I zones form and pre-deformation displays little influence.Eight percentage pre-deformation promotes θ'/θ' precipitation and increases their population density.     

Dislocation-Induced Precipitation and Its Strengthening of Al–Cu–Li–Mg Alloys with High Mg

Generally, the good combination of pre-deformation and aging can improve the mechanical strength of the Al–Cu–Li–Mg alloys. However, the effects of pre-deformation on competitive precipitation relationship and precipitation strengthening have not been clarified in detail in Al–Cu–Li–Mg alloys with high Mg. In the present study, the effects of pre-deformation level on the microstructure and mechanical properties of an Al–2.95 Cu–1.55 Li–0.57 Mg–0.18 Zr alloy have been investigated. It is found that the introduction of dislocation by 5% pre-deformation can facilitate the precipitation of new successive composite precipitates and T _1 precipitates along the sub-grain boundaries or dislocations and inhibit the precipitation of dispersive GPB zones which is the main precipitates of the alloys without pre-deformation. The introduction of 5% pre-deformation can enhance the mechanical properties considerably. When the pre-deformation level increases from 5 to 15%, the number density of the successive composite precipitates and T _1 precipitates increases, and the aspect ratio of T _1 precipitates decreases. The decrease in T _1 precipitate aspect ratio and the increment of the successive composite precipitates result in the reduction in precipitation strengthening. Therefore, the increase in pre-deformation level from 5 to 15% does not further improve the mechanical properties of the alloys, although the dislocation strengthening increases continuously.     

Obtaining Ultra-High Strength and Ductility in a Mg–Gd–Er–Zn–Zr Alloy via Extrusion,Pre-deformation and Two-Stage Aging

The Mg–12Gd–1Er–1Zn–0.9 Zr(wt%) alloy with ultra-high strength and ductility was developed via hot extrusion combined with pre-deformation and two-stage aging treatment.The age-hardening behavior and microstructure evolution were investigated.Pre-deformation introduced a large number of dislocations,resulting in strain hardening and higher precipitation strengthening in the subsequent two-stage aging.As a result,the alloy showed a superior strength–ductility balance with a yield strength of 506 MPa,an ultimate tensile strength of 549 MPa and an elongation of 8.2% at room temperature.The finer and denser β' precipitates significantly enhanced the strength,and the bimodal structure,small β-Mg_5RE phase as well as dense γ' precipitates ensured the good ductility of the alloy.It is suggested that the combination of pre-deformation and two-stage aging treatment is an eff ective method to further improve the mechanical properties of wrought Mg alloys.     

A High-Strength and Biodegradable Zn–Mg Alloy with Refined Ternary Eutectic Structure Processed by ECAP

In this study, the microstructure, mechanical properties and corrosion behaviors of a Zn–1.6 Mg(wt%) alloy during multipass rotary die equal channel angle pressing(RD-ECAP) processing at 150 °C were systematically investigated. The results indicated that a Zn + Mg_2 Zn_(11) + MgZn_2 ternary eutectic structure was formed in as-cast Zn–Mg alloy. After ECAP, the primary Zn matrix turned to fine dynamic recrystallization(DRX) grains, and the network-shaped eutectic structure was crushed into fine particles and blended with DRX grains. Owing to the refined microstructure, dispersed eutectic structure and dynamically precipitated precipitates, the 8 p-ECAP alloy possessed the optimal mechanical properties with ultimate tensile strength of 474 MPa and elongation of 7%. Moreover, the electrochemical results showed that the ECAP alloys exhibited similar corrosion rates with that of as-cast alloys in simulated body fluid, which suggests that a high-strength Zn–Mg alloy was successfully developed without sacrifice of the corrosion resistance.     

Microstructure,mechanical properties,and corrosion resistance of Mg–9Li–3Al–1.6Y alloy

Mg–9Li–3Al–1.6Y alloys were prepared through mixture method. The microstructure, mechanical properties, and corrosion resistance of the as-cast and asextruded alloys were studied by optical microscopy(OM),scanning electronic microscopy(SEM), X-ray diffraction(XRD), mechanical properties testing, and electrochemical measurement. The as-cast Mg–9Li–3Al–1.6Y alloy with the average grain size of 325 lm is composed of b-Li matrix, block a-Mg, and granule Al_2Y phases. After extrusion, the grain size of the as-cast alloy is obviously refined and reaches to 75 lm; the strength and elongation of the extruded alloy are enhanced by 17.20 % and49.45 %, respectively, owing to their fine microstructure and reduction of casting defects. The as-extruded alloy shows better corrosion resistance compared to the as-cast one, which may be related to the low stored energy and dislocation density in the extruded alloy, also the homogenization treatment before extrusion.     

Manipulating Precipitation Through Thermomechanical Treatment to Control Corrosion Behavior of an Al–Cu–Mg Alloy

Controlling the precipitation through thermomechanical treatment is an important method to improve the corrosion resistance of Al–Cu–Mg alloys. In this study, the corrosion behaviors of Al–Cu–Mg alloys in the solution-treated state and retrogressiontreated state under cold rolling deformation and then natural aging were investigated. In the solution-treated series alloys, the cold-rolled deformation improved the resistance to intergranular corrosion by suppressing the precipitation of the S-phas...     

Microstructure,Mechanical Properties and Corrosion Behavior of Extruded Mg–Zn–Ag Alloys with Single-Phase Structure

Mg–Zn–Ag alloys have been extensively studied in recent years for potential biodegradable implants due to their unique mechanical properties,biodegradability and biocompatibility.In the present study,Mg–3Zn-x Ag(wt%,x=0.2,0.5 and0.8)alloys with single-phase crystal structure were prepared by backward extrusion at 340°C.The addition of Ag element into Mg–3Zn slightly influences the ultimate tensile strength and microstructure,but the elongation firstly increases from12%to 19.8%and then decreases from 19.8%to 9.9%with the increment of Ag concentration.The tensile yield strength,ultimate tensile strength and elongation of Mg–3Zn–0.2Ag alloy reach up to 142,234 MPa and 19.8%,respectively,which are the best mechanical performance of Mg–Zn–Ag alloys in the present work.The extruded Mg–3Zn–0.2Ag alloy also possesses the best corrosion behavior with the corresponding corrosion rate of 3.2 mm/year in immersion test,which could be explained by the single-phase and uniformly distributed grain structure,and the fewer twinning.     

Localized corrosion mechanism associated with precipitates containing Mg in Al alloys

To clarify the localized corrosion mechanism associated with precipitates containing Mg in Al alloys, the simulated bulk precipitates of S and β were synthesized through melting and casting. Their electrochemical behaviors and coupling behaviors with α（Al） in NaCl solution were measured. Meanwhile, simulated Al alloys containing S and β particles were prepared and their corrosion morphologies were observed. It＇s found that there exist two kinds of corrosion mechanisms associated with precipitates containing Mg. The precipitate of β is anodic to the alloy base, resulting in its anodic dissolution and corrosion during the whole corrosion process. While, there exists a corrosion conversion mechanism associated with the S precipitate, which contains active element Mg and noble element Cu simultaneously. At an initial stage, S is anodic to the alloy matrix at its periphery and the corrosion occurs on its surface. However, during its corrosion process, Mg is preferentially dissolved and noble Cu is enriched in the remnants. This makes S become cathodic to a（Al） and leads to anodic dissolution and corrosion on the alloy base at its periphery at a later stage.     

Effect of Solution Treatment on Microstructure and Corrosion Properties of Mg–4Gd–1Y–1Zn–0.5Ca–1Zr Alloy

The as-cast multi-element Mg–4Gd–1Y–1Zn–0.5Ca–1Zr alloy with low rare earth additions was prepared, and the solution treatment was applied at different temperatures. The microstructural evolution of the alloy was characterized by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, and corrosion properties of the alloy in 3.5% NaCl solution were evaluated by immersion and electrochemical tests. The results indicate that the as-cast alloy is composed of the a-Mg matrix,lamellar long-period stacking-ordered(LPSO) structure and eutectic phase. The LPSO structure exists with more volume fraction in the alloy solution-treated at 440 °C, but disappears with the increase in the solution temperature. For all the solution-treated alloys, the precipitated phases are detected. The corrosion rates of the alloys decrease first and then increase slightly with the increase in the solution temperature, and the corrosion resistance of the solution-treated alloys is more than four times as good as that of the as-cast alloy. In addition, the alloy solution-treated at 480 °C for 6 h shows the best corrosion property.     

Corrosion behavior of three Ag–50Cu alloys prepared by different processes in NaCl solutions

Corrosion behavior of two nanocrystalline bulk Ag–50Cu alloys and one coarse-grained counterpart prepared by liquid-phase reduction(LPR), mechanical alloying(MA) and powder metallurgy(PM) methods,respectively, were investigated in Na Cl solutions. They were finished by means of PARM273 A and M5210 electrochemical apparatus through potentiodynamic polarization method and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS) technique. The results show that corrosion rates of three Ag–50Cu alloys increase with the increment of Na Cl solution concentrations. Corrosion rates of LPRAg–50Cu alloy are a little higher than those of PMAg–50Cu alloy,but evidently lower than those of MAAg–50Cu alloy. The difference in corrosion rates is attributed to the large reduction in the grain size and homogeneous microstructure of nanocrystalline alloys. Passive current densities decrease and afterward increase for PMAg–50Cu alloy,decrease for MAAg–50Cu alloy, and increase for LPRAg–50Cu alloy with the increment of Na Cl solution concentrations. After the grain sizes are refined, passive current densities become lower.     

晶粒尺寸对Al-Zn-Mg铝合金应力腐蚀敏感性的影响

采用慢应变速率拉伸试验、扫描电镜断口观察和透射电镜晶界微观结构观察及析出相统计等方法,研究了两种晶粒尺寸的Al-Zn-Mg铝合金在3.5%(质量分数)NaCl溶液(pH=6)中的应力腐蚀行为。结果表明:晶粒度大的Al-Zn-Mg铝合金的应力腐蚀敏感性比晶粒度小的合金要高;透射电镜的统计观察分析表明,小晶粒度小的合金的晶界析出相覆盖率高于大晶粒度合金的晶界析出相覆盖率。在一定的晶界析出相面积范围之内,析出相面积分数高的Al-Zn-Mg合金应力的腐蚀敏感性小于析出相面积分数低的Al-Zn-Mg合金。     

The effect of creep aging on localized corrosion resistance of AA2060 alloy

The influence of creep aging at varied stresses on the localized corrosion behavior of AA2060 has been studied in this paper. Samples were subjected to stress free aging (SFA) and creep aging (CA) under two stress levels, after which tensile tests and intergranular corrosion (IGC) tests were carried out. The corrosion morphology and depth were examined using optical microscope. Compared with SFA, CA can enhance the mechanical properties and increase the IGC resistance of Al–Cu–Li alloy but high-stress CA would intensify the intragranular corrosion penetration in the first 25 hr of aging time. The microstructure observation results show that dislocations introduced by CA provide favorable nucleation sites for T1 precipitates in the grain and impede the growth of T1 precipitates at grain boundary. Therefore, the potential difference between the grain interior and grain boundary can be reduced compared to that for the SFA. The mechanism by which CA affects the corrosion resistance of Al–Cu–Li alloys, as is essential to understand and optimize the creep aging process, has been proposed by considering the effect of creep-deformation-induced dislocations.     

Simulation study on function mechanism of some precipitates in localized corrosion of Al alloys

The function mechanism of different types of aging precipitates in localized corrosion of Al alloys was studied. The function mechanism of the precipitates of θ (Al₂Cu) and η (MgZn₂) is validated. The precipitate of θ containing noble element Cu is cathodic to the alloy base, resulting in the anodic dissolution and corrosion of the alloy base at its adjacent periphery. The precipitate of η containing active element Mg is anodic to the alloy base, anodic dissolution and corrosion occur on its surface. Meanwhile, a localized corrosion mechanism conversion associated with the precipitate of T1 (Al₂CuLi) is advanced, which contains noble element Cu and active element Li simultaneously. The precipitate of T1 is anodic to the alloy base and corrosion occurs on its surface at the beginning. However, during its corrosion process, the preferential dissolution of Li and the enrichment of noble element Cu make its potential move to a positive direction. As a result, the corroded T1 precipitate becomes cathodic to the alloy base at a later stage, leading to the anodic dissolution and corrosion of the alloy base at its adjacent periphery.     

Variation of Aging Precipitates and Mechanical Strength of Al-Cu-Li Alloys Caused by Small Addition of Rare Earth Elements

The effect of small rare earth (RE) addition of 0.11%Ce, 0.2%Er and 0.082%Sc on aging precipitates and mechanical strength of an Al-(3.3-4.2)Cu-1.2Li-X alloy were investigated. It is found that Cu-rich residual particles containing RE element exist in the solutionized alloy, which leads to a decrease of dissolved Cu concentration in the solutionized matrix. Like RE-free alloy, the main aging precipitate types in RE-containing alloy are T1 (Al₂CuLi) and θ′ (Al₂Cu), but their fraction is decreased. The strength of the corresponding alloys is therefore lowered by the small RE addition. Combined with the analysis of some reported references, it is proposed that the effect of small RE addition on Al-Cu-Li alloy strength is also associated with the Cu and Li concentrations and their ratio.     

Behavior of Growth and Coarsening of T_1(Al_2CuLi) Precipitates in Al-Li Alloys 2090 and 2090 Ce

The plate-shaPed T,(Al,CuLi) phase nucleat-ing on { l11 } matrix planes plays an boortanrole in preciPitation strengthening for Al-Li-Cualloys [l]. Recently, the observation by trans-mission electron microscOPy (TEM) has provedthat tface addition of rare earth element cerdrican minify the mid-diameter of T, plates and in-crease T, number density of unit volurne in all-oys 2090 [21. In this paPer, the variation of len-gth and thickness of Tl plates with aging time at190 aC has been analy…     

AA 7055铝合金时效析出强化模型

利用小角度X射线散射技术获得的系列定量信息,综合运用时效析出动力学理论和析出相切过、绕过强化机制,研究了AA 7055铝合金在120和160℃时效过程中的屈服强度演变模型。结果表明,在时效早期盘状析出相的盘面半径和半厚度均与t^1/2(t为时效时间)成线性关系;在时效后期,析出相尺寸则与t^1/3成线性关系。时效过程中析出相体积分数与t的变化关系遵循JMA (Johnson-Mehl-Avrami)型表达式。综合考虑了GPI区和η’相2类析出相对合金强度的贡献,并且分别考察了这2类析出相的模量强化机制和共格应变强化机制,最终建立了AA 7055铝合金在120和160℃时效过程中的屈服强度变化模型,确定了该合金时效过程中析出相与屈服强度之间的定量关系。     

Corrosion resistance of aluminum-lithium alloys under various climatic conditions

The corrosion resistance (stress corrosion cracking, exfoliation, intergranular corrosion) of a wide group of aluminum-lithium alloys has been studied under atmospheric conditions with various corrosion environments. Corrosion behavior of experimental and commercial batches of aluminum-lithium alloys has been established as a function of the chemical composition of the alloys and ratio of Cu/Mg, Li/Cu + Mg. Under atmospheric conditions, the best corrosion properties are those of an alloy with a Cu/Mg ratio of 0.5 and a ration of Li/Cu + Mg of 0.96. It has been proved that a decrease in Li/Cu + Mg to 0.56–0.76 leads to impairment of corrosion properties. Accelerated corrosion tests result in the same conclusions.     

Cu／Mg比对AA7085显微组织与性能影响

采用熔铸法制备具有不同Cu／MgLk（0．67,1．0,1．06,1．6）的AA7085铝合金。采用金相显微镜、扫描电镜、力学性能测试和腐蚀测试研究Cu／Mg比对基体合金显微组织、力学性能和腐蚀行为的影响。结果表明,当Cu／Mg比为1．6时,AA7085铝合金具有更好的抑制再结晶能力和抗腐蚀性能。当Cu／Mg比为0．67时,铝合金具有更为优越的力学性能,其抗拉强度与屈服强度分别达到586和550MPa。而当Cu／Mg比为1．0时,合金的力学性能和耐腐蚀性能均下降。     

Cu含量对Al-2.5Mg-xCu-0.2Si合金微观组织和性能的影响

研究了Cu含量对Al-2.5Mg-x Cu-0.2Si合金微观组织和性能的影响。结果表明:由于形成Cu、Mg原子团簇,加入Cu的合金的显微硬度在时效初期有明显的快速硬化。随着时效时间的延长,由于S′相和GPB的形成使得合金的硬度再次提高,并达到硬度峰值。快速硬化的硬度值和峰值硬度值均随铜含量的增加而增加。铜含量增高,合金的抗拉强度和屈服强度增加明显,延伸率降低。含铜量增高,合金的抗晶间腐蚀能力变差。当Cu含量低于1.14%(质量分数,下同)时,合金具有良好的抗晶间腐蚀性能;但含铜2.10%的合金抗晶间腐蚀性能显著降低。实验结果表明:含铜量为1.14%的合金具有较好的机械性能和抗腐蚀能力。     

Microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of Al−3.6Cu−1Li alloy via cryorolling and aging

An Al−3.6Cu−1Li alloy was subjected to room temperature rolling and cryorolling to investigate their effects on microstructure evolution and mechanical properties. The microstructure and aging characteristics of the room temperature-rolled and the cryorolled alloys with 70% and 90% of thickness reductions were studied by microstructure analysis and mechanical tests. The samples subjected to cryorolling with 90% of thickness reduction have high strength and good toughness. This is mainly due to the inhibition of dynamic recovery and the accumulation of high-density dislocations in cryorolled samples. In addition, the artificial aging reveals that the temperature at which peak hardness is attained is inversely proportional to the deformation amount and directly proportional to the rolling temperature. Moreover, bright field images of cryorolled samples after aging indicate the existence of T1 (Al2CuLi) precipitates. This suggests that the high stored strain energy enhances the aging kinetics of the alloy, which further promotes the nucleation of T1 phases.