Double aging and thermomechanical heat treatment of AA7075 aluminum alloy extrusions

摘要

The effects of double aging and thermomechanical double aging on enhancing mechanical properties and accelerating the kinetics of precipitation in aluminum alloy AA7075 were studied by means of hardness tests, tensile tests, and transmission electron microscopy. Using the appropriate heat treatment schedule, the time to peak aging was reduced by a factor of up to 36 without substantial decrease in hardness or tensile properties. The use of appropriate double aging and thermomechanical double aging showed that there can be a significant impact on energy savings and productivity resulting from the accelerated kinetics of precipitation.