Correlation among Composition, Microstructure and Hardness of 7xxx Aluminum Alloy Using Original Statistical...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Metallurgy
• Physical Chemistry

Background:

• The relationship between material composition, microstructure, and properties is crucial for material enhancement.
• High-throughput testing enables detailed analysis of material characteristics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantitatively analyze the correlation between material composition, microstructure, and hardness.
• To investigate the distribution characteristics and rules within material data sets.

Main Methods:

• Utilized high-throughput testing to obtain continuous data on elemental composition, recrystallization, hardness, and undissolved phase distribution.
• Established data mapping between multi-source heterogeneous micro-areas for correlation analysis.
• Analyzed distribution characteristics of single data sets and micro-area data.

Main Results:

• The average size of the insoluble phase was larger in the material's center than the surface, with central segregation causing an abnormal decrease in T4 insoluble phase area.
• Positive micro-segregation of Al, Cr, Ti, and Zr, and negative micro-segregation of Zn, Cu, and Fe were observed in T5 recrystallized grains.
• Insoluble phase growth was synchronous with recrystallization proportion and recrystallized grain size.

Conclusions:

• Composition segregation and recrystallized coarse grains are the primary causes for low hardness zones in T4 and T5 materials, respectively.
• Microstructural features significantly impact material properties like hardness.