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Effect of Zn Content on the Microstructure and Properties of Super-High Strength Al-Zn-Mg-Cu Alloys

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Abstract

The microstructure and properties of three different Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys with high Zn content (9 wt pct, 10 wt pct, and 11 wt pct, marked as 9Zn, 10Zn, and 11Zn, respectively) were investigated. The strength of alloys increases as the Zn content increases from 9 wt pct to 10 wt pct, while it does not increase any more as the Zn content increases continuously from 10 wt pct to 11 wt pct. The stress-corrosion cracking (SCC) resistance decreases as the Zn content increases from 9 wt pct to 10 wt pct, while it changes unobviously as the Zn content increases continuously from 10 wt pct to 11 wt pct. The elongation and fracture toughness of alloys decrease as the Zn content increases in these Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys. The Zn content has little effect on the precipitation reaction of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys that contain the mixture of GP zones, and η′ are the main Matrix Precipitates (MPt) in the peak-aging state, and the mixture of η′ and η are the main MPt in the over-aging state. The amount of MPt and coarse T (AlZnMgCu) phases are shown to increase with the increasing Zn content in Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys. The coarse T phases hardly dissolve into the matrix and are the source for the crack initiation, which may be the responsibility for the negative effect on the properties of high Zn content Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys.

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Acknowledgments

The current study was supported by the key project of Beijing Education Commission: “Forming Mechanism of Atom Clusters and Precipitation Mechanism of Nano-Strengthening Precipitates in Super High Strength Aluminum Alloys” (JB009011201201), and the sub-project of the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program): “Design of the composition and microstructure of aluminum alloys with high strength and high damage resistance” (2A009011201201). The authors would like to thank Z.X. Yu, R.Y. Zhang, and H. Huang for their help during some experiments. G. Nie and K.M. Zhang are thanked for checking the above article and having some fruitful discussions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Pingleyuan 100, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100124, People’s Republic of China

    Ziyong Chen (Professor), Yuanke Mo (Postgraduate Student, Ph.D. Student) & Zuoren Nie (Professor)

  2. Institute for Advanced Materials and Technology, University of Science and Technology Beijing, No. 30 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100124, People’s Republic of China

    Yuanke Mo (Postgraduate Student, Ph.D. Student)

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  1. Ziyong Chen
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  2. Yuanke Mo
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  3. Zuoren Nie
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Correspondence to Ziyong Chen.

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Manuscript submitted February 27, 2011.

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Chen, Z., Mo, Y. & Nie, Z. Effect of Zn Content on the Microstructure and Properties of Super-High Strength Al-Zn-Mg-Cu Alloys. Metall Mater Trans A 44, 3910–3920 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-013-1731-x

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