Effects of Aging Treatment on Precipitation Behavior and Corrosion Resistance of High-Strength Al-Zn-Mg-Cu Alloy
摘要
The single-stage aging (T6) and double-stage aging (T73 and T74) were conducted on the Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy obtained from backward extrusion. The precipitation behavior during the aging process and its effects on the corrosion resistance were comprehensively examined. The results indicate that the double-stage aging can greatly enhance the corrosion resistance compared to the single-stage aging. The grain boundary precipitates after T6 treatment are mainly composed of fine η′ phases with continuous distribution, and the width of the precipitation-free zone is narrow, resulting in the lowest corrosion resistance. The grain boundary precipitates after T74 are primarily composed of large, blocky, plate-like η phases that exhibit a dispersed distribution, and the width of the precipitation-free zone is large. Hence, the corrosion resistance of the T74 treated sample is superior, compared to those of T6 and T73. Moreover, double-stage aging can promote the segregation of Cu element at grain boundaries, thereby decreasing the anodic dissolution rate and effectively inhibiting the stress corrosion cracking.