Effect of Zn content on microstructure evolution in Al–Zn alloys processed by high-pressure torsion
Anwar Q. Ahmed, Dávid Ugi, J. Lendvai, M. Yu. Murashkin, Elena V. Bobruk, Р. З. Валиев, Nguyen Q. Chinh
Abstract
Abstract Al–Zn alloys having different Zn contents of 2, 5, 10 and 30 wt% were processed by high-pressure torsion (HPT) to produce ultrafine-grained (UFG) materials. Microstructural features of these UFG Al–Zn alloys were investigated using depth-sensing indentations, focused ion beam (FIB), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Emphasis was placed on the microstructure evolution of the alloys with different Zn-concentration which demonstrated substantially different mechanical behavior, exhibiting superductility with increasing Zn content. It was shown that in every case, HPT resulted decomposition in the microstructure, but there is a significant difference between the microstructures of alloys with low and high Zn content. Based on the microstructural observations, a scenario is proposed about that how the decomposed microstructure developed during HPT process in low- and high Zn-containing Al–Zn alloys, influencing their mechanical behavior. Graphical abstract