Influence of Aging Temperatures on Precipitation Behaviors of SiC/Al-Zn-Mg-Cu Composites

doi:10.11900/0412.1961.2024.00060

Acta Metall Sin

2024, Vol. 60

Issue (8): 1043-1054 DOI: 10.11900/0412.1961.2024.00060

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Influence of Aging Temperatures on Precipitation Behaviors of SiC/Al-Zn-Mg-Cu Composites

ZHANG Ran¹^,²^,³, ZHU Shize¹(

), LIU Zhenyu¹, KE Yubin³^,⁴(

), WANG Dong¹, XIAO Bolv¹, MA Zongyi¹

1 Shi -changxu Innovation Center for Advanced Materials, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
2 School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Shenyang 110016, China
3 Spallation Neutron Source Science Center, Dongguan 523803, China
4 Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China

Cite this article:

ZHANG Ran, ZHU Shize, LIU Zhenyu, KE Yubin, WANG Dong, XIAO Bolv, MA Zongyi. Influence of Aging Temperatures on Precipitation Behaviors of SiC/Al-Zn-Mg-Cu Composites. Acta Metall Sin, 2024, 60(8): 1043-1054.

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Abstract

A comprehensive understanding of how the addition of SiC particles influences the precipitation-strengthening behaviors of SiC/Al-Zn-Mg-Cu composites is essential for the advancement of high-performance aluminum matrix composites. However, the intrinsic mechanisms have remained unclear for a long time owing to limited characterization methods. Herein, the effect of aging temperatures (100 and 160^oC) on the precipitation behaviors and strengthening mechanisms of SiC/Al-7.5Zn-1.8Mg-1.7Cu (mass fraction, %) composites containing 15%SiC (volume fraction) was investigated using in situ small angle neutron scattering, transmission electron microscopy, and tensile testing. A comparison was also made with the Al-7.5Zn-1.8Mg-1.7Cu alloy. As the aging time extended from 0.5 h to 3 h at 100^oC, the precipitates in the composites evolved from GPI zones to GPI zones + GPII zones, accompanied by a noticeable increase in size. However, the increase in the volume fraction of precipitates was not substantial owing to slow aging kinetics. This increase in both the size and volume fraction of precipitates can enhance the resistance to dislocation cutting through precipitates, thereby improving the precipitation-strengthening capacity of the composites. Aging kinetics accelerated at 160^oC, leading to an increase in both the size and volume fraction of precipitates in the composites with extended aging time. The types of precipitates transitioned from GPII zones + η' phase at 0.5 h to η' phase + η phase at 3 h. Nevertheless, the primary precipitation-strengthening mechanism at this temperature was dislocation bypassing strengthening. Although the expanding volume fraction of precipitates increased the yield strength of the composites, the coarsening of precipitates and the appearance of equilibrium η phase with inferior strengthening capacity imposed limitations on the yield strength increment. Compared with the Al-7.5Zn-1.8Mg-1.7Cu alloy, the composites exhibited low yield strength after aging at 100 and 160^oC for 3 h, albeit with differing mechanisms. During aging at 100^oC, the type and size of precipitates in both materials were roughly the same, but the composites had a lower volume fraction of precipitates owing to Mg consumption caused by SiC/Al interface reactions, thus weakening the precipitation-strengthening capacity. Conversely, during aging at 160^oC, accelerated aging kinetics compensated for the reduction in precipitates volume fraction caused by Mg consumption. However, a low vacancy concentration led to precipitate coarsening and an increased proportion of equilibrium η phase, further weakening the precipitation-strengthening capacity of the composites.

Key words: SiC/Al-Zn-Mg-Cu composites aging precipitation behavior strengthening mechanism small angle neutron scattering

Received: 29 February 2024

ZTFLH:

TG146.2

Fund: National Key Research and Development Program of China(2021YFA1600700);National Natural Science Foundation of China(521932594);National Natural Science Foundation of China(51931009);National Natural Science Foundation of China(U22A20114);CSNS Consortium on High-performance Materials of Chinese Academy of Sciences(JZHKYPT-2021-01);China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(2023M733573);Youth Innovation Promotion Association CAS(2020197)

Corresponding Authors: ZHU Shize, Tel: 13998134700, E-mail: szzhu16s@imr.ac.cnKE Yubin, professor, Tel: 15989637569, E-mail: keyb@ihep.ac.cn

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	ZHANG Ran
	ZHU Shize
	LIU Zhenyu
	KE Yubin
	WANG Dong
	XIAO Bolv
	MA Zongyi

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https://www.ams.org.cn/EN/10.11900/0412.1961.2024.00060 OR https://www.ams.org.cn/EN/Y2024/V60/I8/1043

Fig.1 Scattering curves of 15%SiC/7085Al composites at 100^oC (a, c) and 160^oC (b, d) for various aging periods (Figs.1c and d are the local magnification diagrams of the rectangular regions in Figs.1a and b, respectively. Q—scattering vector modulus)

Fig.2 Fitting results of scattering curves
(a) aspect ratio of precipitates
(b) size of precipitates at 100^oC (R₁ and R_s are the long and short axis radii of precipitates, respectively)
(c) size of precipitates at 160^oC
(d) volume fraction of precipitates (f_v)

Fig.3 TEM bright field images (a, d), low (b, e) and high (c, f) magnified HRTEM images of precipitates in 15%SiC/7085Al composites after aging at 100^oC for 0.5 h (a-c) and 3 h (d-f); and corresponding fast Fourier transform (FFT) (c1, f1) of Figs.3c and f, respectively (Various types of precipitates are indicated by arrows with different colors, and the characteristic streaks are highlighted with green boxes)

Fig.4 TEM bright field images (a, f), low (b, g) and high (c-e, h-j) magnified HRTEM images of precipitates in 15%SiC/7085Al composites after aging at 160^oC for 0.5 h (a-e) and 3 h (f-j), and corresponding FFT (c1-e1, h1-j1) of Figs.4c-e and h-j, respectively (The characteristic streaks and spots are highlighted with yellow boxes and arrows, respectively)

Fig.5 Engineering stress-strain curves of 15%SiC/7085Al composites after aging at 100^oC (a) and 160^oC (b) for different time

Table 1 Tensile mechanical properties of 15%SiC/7085Al composites after aging at 100 and 160^oC for different time

Table 2 Quantitative information on the precipitates in 15%SiC/7085Al composites and 7085Al alloy after aging at 100 and 160^oC for 3 h

Fig.6 TEM bright field images (a, c), low (b, d) and high (e-j) magnified HRTEM images of precipitates in 7085Al alloy after aging at 100^oC (a, b, e, f) and 160^oC (c, d, g-j) for 3 h, and corresponding FFT (e1-j1) of Figs.6e-j (The characteristic streaks and spots are highlighted with yellow boxes and arrows, respectively)

Fig.7 High angle annular dark field (HAADF) image of SiC/Al interface in 15%SiC/7085Al composites and corresponding EDS elemental distribution maps

Table 3 Tensile mechanical properties of 7085Al alloy after aging at 100 and 160℃ for 3 h

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