Effect of the natural aging time on the age-hardening response and precipitation behavior of the Al-0.4Mg-1.0Si-(Sn) alloy

Wenbin Tu; Jianguo Tang; Lingying Ye; Lingfei Cao; Yu Zeng; Qianqian Zhu; Yong Zhang; Shengdan Liu; Lehang Ma; Jinkun Lu; Bing Yang

Materials & Design (Jan 2021)

Effect of the natural aging time on the age-hardening response and precipitation behavior of the Al-0.4Mg-1.0Si-(Sn) alloy

Wenbin Tu,
Jianguo Tang,
Lingying Ye,
Lingfei Cao,
Yu Zeng,
Qianqian Zhu,
Yong Zhang,
Shengdan Liu,
Lehang Ma,
Jinkun Lu,
Bing Yang

Affiliations

Wenbin Tu: School of Materials Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410083, PR China; Key Laboratory of Nonferrous Metal Materials Sciences and Engineering, Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410083, PR China
Jianguo Tang: School of Materials Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410083, PR China; Key Laboratory of Nonferrous Metal Materials Sciences and Engineering, Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410083, PR China
Lingying Ye: School of Materials Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410083, PR China; Key Laboratory of Nonferrous Metal Materials Sciences and Engineering, Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410083, PR China; Corresponding authors.
Lingfei Cao: International Joint Laboratory for Light Alloys (Ministry of Education), College of Materials Science and Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China; Electron Microscopy Center of Chongqing University, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China; Corresponding authors.
Yu Zeng: Research Institute of Baosteel, Shanghai 201900, China
Qianqian Zhu: International Joint Laboratory for Light Alloys (Ministry of Education), College of Materials Science and Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China; Electron Microscopy Center of Chongqing University, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
Yong Zhang: School of Materials Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410083, PR China; Key Laboratory of Nonferrous Metal Materials Sciences and Engineering, Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410083, PR China
Shengdan Liu: School of Materials Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410083, PR China; Key Laboratory of Nonferrous Metal Materials Sciences and Engineering, Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410083, PR China
Lehang Ma: School of Materials Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410083, PR China; Key Laboratory of Nonferrous Metal Materials Sciences and Engineering, Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410083, PR China
Jinkun Lu: School of Materials Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410083, PR China; Key Laboratory of Nonferrous Metal Materials Sciences and Engineering, Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410083, PR China
Bing Yang: Research Institute of Baosteel, Shanghai 201900, China

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 198
p. 109307

Abstract

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The combined effect of adding Sn and natural aging (NA) time on the precipitation and age-hardening rate of the Al-0.4Mg-1.0Si alloy was investigated by a hardness test, electrical resistivity test, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis, 3-D atom probe (3DAP) analysis, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results showed that the NA of the Al-0.4 Mg-1.0Si alloy was suppressed by adding Sn. This suppression was ascribed to the suppression of the formation of clusters. The short NA time (less than 5 days) had a positive effect on the subsequent artificial aging (AA) in the Sn-added alloys, i.e., a fast AA-hardening rate was achieved. The positive effect of the NA on the AA in the Sn-added alloys increased as the amount of Sn increased, but decreased as the NA time increased. The AA was negatively affected by the NA when the NA time was increased to 14 days. The accelerated AA precipitation of the Sn-added alloys after a short NA time was responsible for the fast AA-hardening rate. This accelerated precipitation was related to the increased amount of retained quenched-in vacancies according to their NA resistivity curves and similarity of the chemical composition between the Sn-containing clusters and β'' phases.

Published in Materials & Design

ISSN: 0264-1275 (Print); 1873-4197 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Technology: Electrical engineering. Electronics. Nuclear engineering: Materials of engineering and construction. Mechanics of materials
Website: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/materials-and-design

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