The impact of Fe content on the microstructures and mechanical properties
of an ultra-high strength aluminum alloy, namely,
Al−10.50Zn−2.35Mg−1.25Cu−0.12Cr−0.1Mn−0.1Zr−0.1Ti, was investigated. It is
found that the increase of Fe content leads to a notable rise in the volume
fraction of microscale secondary phases, including (Cu,Fe,Mn,Cr)Al7, σ phase (composed of Al, Zn, Mg, and Cu
elements), and Al3(Zr,Ti). The formation of these secondary phases
results in the depletion of certain phase-forming elements, thereby
significantly reducing the quantity of strengthening phases. Fe imposes minimal
impact on tensile strength, but it can significantly alter the elongation (δ). For instance, the average elongation
of the alloy with 0.18 wt.% Fe (δ=4.5%)
is less than half that of the alloy with Fe less than 0.1 wt.% (δ=9.9%−10.9%). The reduction in
elongation is attributed to the combined effects of the formation of coarse secondary
phases and the diminished quantity of strengthening phases around these coarse
phases.
Xin-yuan XU, Lei JIANG, Xin-biao ZHANG, Ming-hong MAO, Jian-xin XIE
. Effect of iron content on microstructures and mechanical properties of new ultra-high strength Al−Zn−Mg−Cu alloys[J]. Transactions of Nonferrous Metals Society of China, 2025
, 35(10)
: 3179
-3190
.
DOI: 10.1016/S1003-6326(25)66874-9