Microstructure and mechanical properties of an Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy produced by gravity casting process

Abstract

High-strength aluminum alloy are widely used for structural components in aerospace, transportation and racing car applications. The objective of this study is to enhance the strength of the Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy used for gravity casting process. All alloys cast into stepped-form sand mold (Sand-mold Casting; SC) and Y-block shaped metal mold(Permanent mold Casting; PC) C and then two-step aged at 398-423 K after solution treated at 743 K for 36 ks. The tensile strength and total elongation of the two-step aged SC alloys were 353-387 MPa and about 0.4% respectively. This low tensile properties of the SC alloys might be caused by remaining of undissolved crystallized phase such as Al2CuM, MgZn2 and Al-Fe-Cu system compounds. However, good tensile properties were obtained from PC alloys, tensile strength and 0.2% proof stress and elongation were 503-537 MPa, 474-519 MPa and 1.3-3.3%. The reason of the good properties in PM alloys, is the lowed amount of undissolved crystallized phase than that of SC ones and primary crystallized alpha-Al phase was finer due to high cooling rate at solidification in casting.