Microstructure and Properties of Spark Plasma Sintered Al-Zn-Mg-Cu Alloy

• Authors: H. Becker , M. Dopita , J. Stráská , P. Málek , M. Vilémová , D. Rafaja
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

The microstructure of an aluminum alloy containing 53 wt% Zn, 2.1 wt% Mg and 1.3 wt% Cu as main alloying elements has been studied with the focus on the precipitation behavior during the spark plasma sintering process. The starting material was an atomized Al-Zn-Mg-Cu powder with the particle size below 50 μm. The particles showed a solidification microstructure from cellular to columnar or equiaxed dendritic morphology with a large fraction of the alloying elements segregated in form of intermetallic phases, mainly (Zn,Al,Cu)₄₉Mg₃₂ and Mg₂(Zn,Al,Cu)₁₁, at the cell and dendrite boundaries. The microstructure of the sintered specimens followed the microstructure of the initial powder. However, Mg(Zn,Al,Cu)₂ precipitates evolve at the expense of the initial precipitate phases. The precipitates which were initially continuously distributed along the intercellular and interdendritic boundaries form discrete chain-like structures in the sintered samples. Additionally, fine precipitates created during the sintering process evolve at the new low-angle boundaries. The large fraction of precipitates at the grain boundaries and especially at the former particle boundaries could not be solved into the matrix applying a usual solid solution heat treatment. A bending test reveals low ductility and strength. The mechanical properties suffer from the precipitates at former particle boundaries leading to fracture after an outer fiber tensile strain of 3.8%.

Keywords

EN

81.05.Bx; 81.20.Fw; 81.40.-z; 81.70.-q; 61.43.Gt; 81.20.Ev; 62.20.M-

Discipline

• 61.43.Gt: Powders, porous materials
• 81.20.Ev: Powder processing: powder metallurgy, compaction, sintering, mechanical alloying, and granulation
• 81.40.-z: Treatment of materials and its effects on microstructure, nanostructure, and properties
• 81.20.Fw: Sol-gel processing, precipitation(for reactions in sol-gels, see 82.33.Ln; for sol-gels as disperse system, see 82.70.Gg)
• 81.05.Bx: Metals, semimetals, and alloys
• 62.20.M-: Structural failure of materials(for materials treatment effects on microstructure, see 81.40.Np)
• 81.70.-q: Methods of materials testing and analysis(see also 82.80.-d Chemical analysis and related physical methods of analysis)

• Publisher: Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences
• Journal: Acta Physica Polonica A
• Year: 2015
• Volume: 128
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 602-605

Dates

published

2015-10

Contributors

author

H. Becker

• Institute of Materials Science, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, 09599 Freiberg, Germany

author

M. Dopita

• Institute of Materials Science, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, 09599 Freiberg, Germany

author

J. Stráská

• Charles University in Prague, Department of Physics of Materials, Prague, Czech Republic

author

P. Málek

• Charles University in Prague, Department of Physics of Materials, Prague, Czech Republic

author

M. Vilémová

• Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Institute of Plasma Physics, Prague, Czech Republic

author

D. Rafaja

• Institute of Materials Science, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, 09599 Freiberg, Germany

References

• [1] H.K. Hardy, T.J. Heal, Prog. Met. Phys. 5, 143 (1954), doi: 10.1016/0502-8205(54)90006-4
• [2] J.Z. Liu, J.H. Chen, X.B. Yang, S. Ren, C.L. Wu, H.Y. Xub, J. Zoub, Scr. Mater. 63, 1064 (2010), doi: 10.1016/j.scriptamat.2010.08.001
• [3] T. Hu, K. Ma, T.D. Topping, J.M. Schoenung, E.J. Lavernia, Acta Mater. 61, 2163 (2013), doi: 10.1016/j.actamat.2012.12.037
• [4] J. Gubicza, I. Schiller, N.Q. Chinh, J. Illy, Z. Horita, T.G. Langdon, Mater. Sci. Eng. A 460-461, 77 (2007), doi: 10.1016/j.msea.2007.01.001
• [5] P.N.T. Unwin, R.B. Nicholson, Acta Metall. 17, 1379 (1969), doi: 10.1016/0001-6160(69)90155-2
• [6] H. Chen, B. Yang, Mater. Trans. 49, 2912 (2008), doi: 10.2320/matertrans.MRP2008303
• [7] K. Ma, H. Wen, T. Hu, T.D. Topping, D. Isheim, D.N. Seidman, E.J. Lavernia, J.M. Schoenung, Acta Mater. 62, 141 (2014), doi: 10.1016/j.actamat.2013.09.042
• [8] J.-F. Li, Z.-W. Peng, C.-X. Li, Z.-Q. Jia, W.-J. Chen, Z.Q. Zheng, Trans. Nonferrous Met. Soc. China 18, 755 (2008), doi: 10.1016/S1003-6326(08)60130-2
• [9] D.R. Askeland, F. Haddleton, P. Green, H. Robertson, in: The Science and Engineering of Materials, Chapman and Hall, London 1996, p. 289, doi: 10.1007/978-1-4899-2895-5
• [10] H. Liang, S.-L. Chen, Y.A. Chang, Met. Mat. Trans. A 28A, 1725 (1997), doi: 10.1007/s11661-997-0104-8
• [11] X. Fang, M. Song, K. Li, Y. Du, D. Zhao, C. Jiang, H. Zhang, J. Mater. Sci. 47, 5419 (2012), doi: 10.1007/s10853-012-6428-9
• [12] C. Mondal, A.K. Mukhopadhyay, Mater. Sci. Eng. A 391, 367 (2005), doi: 10.1016/j.msea.2004.09.013
• [13] S. Samson, Acta Chem. Scand. 3, 835 (1949), doi: 10.3891/acta.chem.scand.03-0835
• [14] B. Clausen, Ph.D. Thesis, Risø National Laboratory, Roskilde 1997
• [15] H.-B. Chen, K. Tao, B. Yang, J.-S. Zhang, Trans. Nonferrous Met. Soc. China 19, 1110 (2009), doi: 10.1016/S1003-6326(08)60415-X
• [16] X. Fan, D. Jiang, Q. Meng, L. Zhong, Mater. Lett. 60, 1475 (2006), doi: 10.1016/j.matlet.2005.11.049
• [17] F. Xie, X. Yan, L. Ding, F. Zhang, S. Chen, M.G. Chu, Y.A. Chang, Mater. Sci. Eng. A 355, 144 (2003), doi: 10.1016/S0921-5093(03)00056-X

Identifiers

DOI

10.12693/APhysPolA.128.602