Zi-qiao Zheng

Mechanical properties, corrosion behaviors and microstructures of 7075 aluminium alloy with various aging treatments

Abstract The influence of two novel aging treatments, T6I6 (130 °C, 80 min + 65 °C, 240 h+130 °C, 18 h) and high-temperature pre-precipitation(HTPP) aging (445 °C, 30 min+120 °C, 24 h) on the tensile properties, intergranular corrosion, exfoliation corrosion behaviors and microstructures of 7075 Al alloy was studied, which were compared with the T6, T73 and RRA treatments. Fine η′ precipitate with high density was obtained in the alloy with the T6 and RRA treatments. The η′ precipitate density in the HTPP aged alloy is decreased due to the formation of coarse particles during the pre-precipitation process at high temperature of 445 °C. The 7075-T6I6 alloy possesses higher precipitate density and whole precipitate volume fraction within the grain than the 7075-T73 alloy, and its whole precipitate volume fraction is even greater than that of the 7075-T6 alloy. Compared with T6 treatment, the RRA, T73, T6I6 and HTPP aging treatments cause the discontinuous distribution of the η precipitates at the grain boundary, which decreases the intergranular corrosion and exfoliation corrosion susceptibility of the alloy. Meanwhile, the T6I6 and RRA treatments can keep the high strength of the 7075 Al alloy, but the studied HTPP aging and T73 treatments lower its strength.

Corrosion mechanism associated with Mg2Si and Si particles in Al–Mg–Si alloys

The electrochemical behaviors and coupling behaviors of the Mg2Si and Si phases with α(Al) were investigated, the corrosion morphologies of Al alloys containing Mg2Si and Si particles were observed, and the corrosion mechanism associated with them in Al–Mg–Si alloys was advanced. The results show that Si particle is always cathodic to the alloy base, Mg2Si is anodic to the alloy base and corrosion occurs on its surface at the beginning. However, during its corrosion process, the preferential dissolution of Mg and the enrichment of Si make Mg2Si transform to cathode from anode, leading to the anodic dissolution and corrosion of the alloy base at its adjacent periphery at a later stage. As the mole ratio of Mg to Si in an Al–Mg–Si alloy is less than 1.73, it contains Mg2Si and Si particles simultaneously in the grain boundary area, and corrosion initiates on the Mg2Si surface and the precipitate-free zone (PFZ) at the adjacent periphery of Si particle. As corrosion time is extended, Si particle leads to severe anodic dissolution and corrosion of the PFZ at its adjacent periphery, expedites the polarity transformation between Mg2Si and the PFZ and accelerates the corrosion of PFZ at the adjacent periphery of Mg2Si particle.

Corrosion behavior of 2195 and 1420 Al-Li alloys in neutral 3.5% NaCl solution under tensile stress

The corrosion behaviors of 1420 and 2195 Al-Li alloys under 308 and 490 MPa tensile stress respectively in neutral 3.5% NaCl solution were investigated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS) and scanning electron microscope(SEM). It is found that the unstressed 1420 alloy is featured with large and discrete pits, while general corrosion and localized corrosion including intergranular corrosion and pitting corrosion occur on the unstressed 2195 alloy. As stress is applied to 1420 alloy, the pit becomes denser and its size is decreased. While, for the stressed 2195 alloy, intergranular corrosion is greatly aggravated and severe general corrosion is developed from connected pits. The EIS analysis shows that more severe general corrosion and localized corrosion occur on the stressed 2195 Al-Li alloy than on 1420 Al-Li alloy. It is suggested that tensile stress has greater effect on the corrosion of 2195 Al-Li alloy than on 1420 Al-Li alloy.

Simulation on function mechanism of T1(Al2CuLi) precipitate in localized corrosion of Al-Cu-Li alloys

Abstract To clarify the corrosion mechanism associated with the precipitate of Tl(Al 2 CuLi) in Al-Li alloys, the simulated bulk precipitate of T1 was fabricated through melting and casting. Its electrochemical behavior and coupling behavior with α(Al) in 3.5% NaCl solution were investigated. Meanwhile, the simulated Al alloy containing T1 particle was prepared and its corrosion morphology was observed. The results show that there exists a dynamic conversion corrosion mechanism associated with the precipitate of T1. At the beginning, the precipitate of T1 is anodic to the alloy base and corrosion occurs on its surface. However, during its corrosion process, its potential moves to a positive direction with immersion time increasing, due to the preferential dissolution of Li and the enrichment of Cu. As a result, the corroded T1 becomes cathodic to the alloy base at a later stage, leading to the anodic dissolution and corrosion of the alloy base at its adjacent periphery. It is suggested that the localized corrosion associated with the precipitate of T1 in Al-Li alloys is caused by the alternate anodic dissolution of the T1 precipitate and the alloy base at its adjacent periphery.

Localized corrosion mechanism associated with precipitates containing Mg in Al alloys

Abstract To clarify the localized corrosion mechanism associated with precipitates containing Mg in Al alloys, the simulated bulk precipitates of S and β were synthesized through melting and casting. Their electrochemical behaviors and coupling behaviors with α(Al) in NaCl solution were measured. Meanwhile, simulated Al alloys containing S and β particles were prepared and their corrosion morphologies were observed. Its found that there exist two kinds of corrosion mechanisms associated with precipitates containing Mg. The precipitate of β is anodic to the alloy base, resulting in its anodic dissolution and corrosion during the whole corrosion process. While, there exists a corrosion conversion mechanism associated with the S precipitate, which contains active element Mg and noble element Cu simultaneously. At an initial stage, S is anodic to the alloy matrix at its periphery and the corrosion occurs on its surface. However, during its corrosion process, Mg is preferentially dissolved and noble Cu is enriched in the remnants. This makes S become cathodic to α(Al) and leads to anodic dissolution and corrosion on the alloy base at its periphery at a later stage.

Nickel co-deposition with SiC particles at initial stage

Abstract The cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry were used to study the influence of SiC particles on the nucleation and growth of nickel deposition on copper matrix from acid sulphate solution. The surface morphology of Ni-SiC co-deposition at initial stage was observed with scanning electron microscope(SEM). The results show that the nickel co-deposition with SiC particles may begin at −700 mV (vs SCE) under the experimental conditions, and the nucleation/growth mechanism of Ni-SiC co-deposition tends Scharifker—Hill with three-dimension model. In the case of low over-potential of −710—−740 mV, the nucleation process of Ni-SiC co-deposition may follow the progressive nucleation mechanism of Scharifker—Hill. During higher over-potential of −770—−800 mV, it trends to follow a 3D instantaneous nucleation/growth mechanism. With the increase of over-potential, the relaxation time tm, corresponding to the peak current Im of Ni-SiC co-deposition decreases regularly and is shortened apparently, compared with that of pure Ni deposition. The observation with SEM confirms that SiC particles can be considered as favorable sites for nickel nucleating. When certain amount of SiC particles are adsorbed (or cover) on cathode surface, especially under the condition of high over-potential, they may represent an external inhibition of the nickel electron deposition.

Continuous cooling transformation curve of a novel Al-Cu-Li alloy

An effective method of measuring continuous cooling transformation(CCT) curve is studied. Corresponding to different cooling rate range, the different measurement methods are employed. The phase-transformation temperatures at slow cooling rate are determined by differential thermal analysis(DTA). The phase-transformation temperatures at medium cooling rate are obtained by measuring a ratio of resistance change against temperature. The phase-transformation temperatures at high cooling rate are measured with thermal mechanical simulator and X-ray diffractometer. Mechanical property combined with microstructure of the samples at various cooling rates is studied and the CCT curve of the alloy is constructed. When the cooling rate increases, phase- transformation temperature drops and the quantity of the secondary phase decreases. The solid solution strengthening is the leading strengthening mechanism during the quench and the hardness increases with the increase of the cooling rate.

Kinetic Monte Carlo simulation of microalloying effect in Al-Ag alloys

The kinetic Monte Carlo method, which based on the Multi-States Ising Model, was applied to simulate the effect of microelements on the microstructural evolution of Al-Ag alloys during initial aging stage. The simulation results suggest that the microelements In, Sn and Be have a dramatic depression effect on the Ag clustering because of their strong tendency to co-existed with vacancies. There are no significant effects on the process of Ag clustering in Al-Ag alloys containing Li or Cd, because of little interaction between Li/Cd and Ag/vacancies. Microelements can influence the aging by interacting with vacancies and the atoms of precipitated composition, in which the former seems more important. In this model, “vacancy-locking” and “vacancy clusters” are two important mechanisms in the aging process.