High Strength and Excellent Ductility of AZ80 Magnesium Alloy Cabin Component Developed by W-Shaped Channel Extrusion and Subsequent T6 Heat Treatment

doi:10.1007/s40195-023-01525-8

Abstract

Abstract:

The AZ80 magnesium (Mg) alloy cabin component with high strength and excellent ductility was developed by W-shaped channel extrusion (WCE) at 350 °C and subsequent T6 heat treatment. The effect of WCE process on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the alloy was experimentally investigated, and the age-hardening behavior with microstructure evolution during heat treatment was revealed. Due to the introduction of multi-stage asymmetric extrusion and severe shear deformation along the annular channel, the average grain size of the WCE extruded alloy could be effectively refined to 4.7 μm. Besides, the β phase particles were dynamically precipitated from the fine grain boundaries during extrusion, which hindered the grain growth, but worsen the material plasticity. After T6 treatment, the properties of component were eventually improved to a yield strength (YS) of 218 MPa and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of 344 MPa with elongation (EL) of 14.5%. It was revealed that the rod/lath- and needle-shaped continuous β phase (CP) with finer size precipitated after T6 treatment was more effective in hindering the movement of dislocations and strengthened the alloy than lamellar discontinuous β phase (DP). The dispersed phase precipitated in the grains, the annihilation of dislocations, the uniformly distributed grains and the re-dissolution of β phase particles at initial grain boundaries after T6 treatment greatly contributed to the ductility of alloy. Moreover, the T6 treatment also promoted the basal plane of most grains which were re-arranged to the extrusion direction, which promoted the possibility of non-basal slip activation and further improved the elongation of the alloy. As a result, the UTS and YS of the final component increased by 10% and the EL increased by 7%, respectively.

Key words: AZ80 Mg alloy, W-shaped channel extrusion, Heat treatment, Mechanical properties

Yuxing Zhang, Zhen Wang, Shuchang Li, Xi Zhao, Zhimin Zhang, Yaojin Wu, Xianwei Ren, Fafa Yan, Beibei Dong. High Strength and Excellent Ductility of AZ80 Magnesium Alloy Cabin Component Developed by W-Shaped Channel Extrusion and Subsequent T6 Heat Treatment[J]. Acta Metallurgica Sinica (English Letters), 2023, 36(5): 839-856.

Figures/Tables 18

Fig. 1 Schematic diagram of WCE process

Table 1 Heat treatment schedule for the WCE extruded AZ80 alloy

Designation	Heat treatment schedule
AT, (ACa)	175 °C, 200 °C, 250 °C, 300 °C	6 h-48 h (/6 h)
ST, (WQb)	415 °C	40 min-65 min(/5 min) and 90 min
ST + AT, (AC)	415 °C + 175 °C, 200 °C, 250 °C	6 h-36 h (/6 h)

Fig. 2 a Schematic diagram of sample selection and b sample fracture observation surface

Fig. 3 a, b, d SEM and c OM microstructure of AZ80 Mg alloy in different states: a as-cast, b homogenized, and c, d WCE extruded

Table 2 General statistics

General statistics	Statistics of microstructure			Tensible properties
General statistics	GS (μm)	V_Cps (%)	V_Dps (%)	UTS (MPa)	YS (MPa)	EL (%)
Homogenization	150.0 (± 3.0)	-	-	150 (± 4)	65 (± 5)	11.1 (± 0.5)
Extrusion	4.7 (± 0.2)	5 (± 2)	-	310 (± 8)	200 (± 6)	13.6 (± 1.2)
415 °C/1 h	22.0 (± 1.6)	-	-	272 (± 7)	150 (± 3)	12.4 (± 0.7)
175 °C/12 h	4.7 (± 0.2)	32 (± 3)	-	309 (± 5)	173 (± 5)	12.5 (± 1.5)
415 °C/1 h + 175 °C/24 h	23.0 (± 2.1)	40 (± 3)	50 (± 6)	344 (± 9)	218 (± 7)	14.5 (± 1.5)
415 °C/1 h + 200 °C/16 h	24.6 (± 2.2)	43 (± 4)	40 (± 5)	311 (± 7)	195 (± 6)	11.8 (± 2.0)
415 °C/1 h + 250 °C/12 h	24.8 (± 2.1)	48 (± 4)	32 (± 3)	285 (± 6)	187 (± 8)	12.1 (± 2.1)

Fig. 4 Mechanical properties of as-cast, as-homogenized, and WCE extruded sample

Fig. 5 Hardness curves and grain size variation of WCE extruded AZ80 Mg alloy under different aging temperature conditions

Fig. 6 Mechanical properties of WCE extruded AZ80 Mg alloy after aging treatment

Fig. 7 Microstructure of WCE extruded AZ80 Mg alloy after aging treatment: a, b 175 °C/12 h, c, d 175 °C/18 h and e, f 175 °C/24 h

Fig. 8 Mechanical properties and grain size of WCE extruded AZ80 alloy through solution treatment

Fig. 9 Microstructure of WCE extruded AZ80 alloy after solution treatment

Fig. 10 a Mechanical properties of WCE extruded AZ80 alloy with optimal solution and aging parameters at different time periods, b aging hardening response curve of ST + 175 °C/24 h sample and c corresponding OM images for β phase distribution

Fig. 11 Microstructures of WCE extruded AZ80 alloy with optimal solution + aging at various temperatures: a ST + 175 °C/24 h, b ST + 200 °C/16 h and c ST + 250 °C/12 h

Fig. 12 TEM results present the precipitation behavior of CPs within the grains in the ST + 175 °C/24 h sample

Fig. 13 Twins in tensile sample after ST for 65 min

Fig. 14 a, b Microstructures and c, d fracture surface of the samples processed by: a, c WCE and b, d WCE + T6

Fig. 15 a, b IPF coloring images and c, d corresponding KAM figures of the samples processed by: a, c WCE and b, d WCE + T6

Fig. 16 a, b, c SF of the basal slip, first-order ($10\overline{1}1$) < $11\overline{2}0$ > slip, second-order pyramidal ($11\overline{2}1$) < $11\overline{2}\overline{3}$ > slip and textures after samples processed by WCE and WCE + T6, d texture evolution

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