Microstructural and mechanical characterisation of 7075 aluminium alloy consolidated from a premixed powder by cold compaction and hot extrusion Articles uri icon

publication date

  • March 2014

start page

  • 674

end page

  • 682

volume

  • 55

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 0264-1275

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 1873-4197

abstract

  • The present work concerns the processing of 7075 Al alloy by cold compaction and hot extrusion of a pre-mixed powder. To this end, a premixed Al-Zn-Mg-Cu powder, Alumix 431D, was uniaxially cold pressed at 600 MPa into cylindrical compacts 25 mm in diameter and 15 mm thick. Subsequently, selected green compacts were subjected to either a delubrication or presintering heat treatment. Extrusion of the powder compacts was performed at 425 degrees C using an extrusion ratio of 25:1. No porosity was present in the microstructures of the extruded alloys. Heat treatment prior to extrusion had a great effect on the degree of alloy development in powder compacts and, as a direct consequence, remarkably affected the extrusion process and the as-extruded microstructures and mechanical properties of the processed materials. Hot extrusion caused banded structures for the alloys consolidated from the green and delubricated powder compacts. The alloy extruded from the presintered powder compact showed a fine, recrystallized microstructure which resulted in a superior combination of mechanical properties for the consolidated material.

subjects

  • Materials science and engineering

keywords

  • aluminium alloys; premixed powders; powder extrusion; microstructural characteristics mechanical properties