Deformation behavior and microstructural evolution of Al-Zn-Cu-Mg-Sc-Zr alloy during high temperature compression

Abstract

The deformation behavior of a new Al-Zn-Cu-Mg-Sc-Zr alloy was investigated with compression tests in temperature range of 380–470 °C and strain rate range of 0.001–10 s⁻¹ using Gleeble 1500 system, and the associated microstructural evolutions were studied by metallographic microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The results show that true stress—strain curves exhibit a peak stress, followed by a dynamic flow softening at low strains (ɛ<0.05). The stress decreases with increasing deformation temperature and decreasing strain rate, which can be represented by a Zener-Hollomon exponential equation with the activation energy for deformation of 157.9 kJ/mol. The substructure in the deformed specimens consists of few fine precipitates with equaixed polygonized subgrains in the elongated grains and developed serrations at the grain boundaries. The dynamic flow softening is attributed mainly to dynamic recovery and dynamic recrystallization.

Keywords

Al-Zn-Cu-Mg-Sc-Zr alloy / hot deformation / flow softening / microstructural evolution / activation energy

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