Search Results (534)

The interfacial reaction between solder and substrate is a critical factor governing joint reliability, making it essential to understand the formation and stability of interfacial reaction layers when developing new high-temperature lead-free solders. This study investigates the interfacial reaction layers formed in Zn-5Al-3Mg solder/Cu substrate joints soldered at 693 K under vacuum. With a binary Zn-Al solder, the Cu substrate is progressively consumed by Zn, and the intermediate phases CuZn₄, Cu₅Zn₈, and CuZn nucleate and grow concurrently at the solder interface. The addition of a minor amount of Mg to the Zn-Al alloy, however, fundamentally alters this reaction sequence. Transmission electron microscopy analyses, including scanning transmission electron microscopy–energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (STEM-EDS), energy-filtered TEM (EF-TEM), and electron diffraction, reveal three distinct interfacial layers: an outer Mg₂Zn₁₁ layer, a middle two-phase mixture of CuZn₄/Mg₂CuZn₃, and an inner Cu₅Zn₈ layer adjacent to the Cu substrate. The biphasic CuZn₄/Mg₂CuZn₃ mixture layer is shown to form via a quasi-peritectic reaction governed by sequential four-phase equilibria in the Zn-Mg-Cu ternary system. These findings demonstrate that minor Mg additions redirect the interfacial reaction pathway between Zn-Al-based solders and Cu substrates, providing new insight for the design of high-temperature Pb-free solder systems. Full article

The role of the Zn/Mg ratio in regulating microstructure, precipitation evolution and coarsening resistance in Al–Zn–Mg-based alloys was investigated by microhardness testing, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) during isothermal aging at 150 °C. Three alloy compositions were designed with Zn/Mg ratios of 1.6, 2.4, and 3.9, whereas the combined Zn and Mg level was fixed at 6.0 wt%. All alloys exhibited a typical age-hardening response, whereas the maximum peak hardness was obtained at an intermediate Zn/Mg level rather than at the two extremes. The optimal composition (Zn/Mg = 2.4) reached 137 HV, which is attributable to the formation of the finest precipitates (~3 nm) and the highest number density. Moreover, this alloy exhibited the smallest hardness loss (ΔH = 19 HV) after prolonged aging (192 h). TEM analysis indicated that this alloy exhibited the lowest coarsening rate constant, Kr = 0.43 at 192 h. Furthermore, the variation in Zn/Mg ratio affected grain boundary precipitation, leading to a minimized PFZ width at Zn/Mg = 2.4 while maintaining a similar discontinuous distribution of grain boundary precipitates among the alloys. Overall, tailoring the Zn/Mg balance offers an effective strategy to achieve refined precipitates, improved coarsening resistance, and enhanced mechanical performance with superior thermal stability. Full article

The corrosion behavior of symmetric (S-joint) and asymmetric (A-joint) double-sided friction stir-welded (DS-FSW) 7A65 aluminum alloy thick plates was investigated in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution. The S-joint, produced using the same large tool (Φ30 mm) for both passes, imposes two high-heat thermal cycles that result in insufficiently fragmented intermetallic particles (IMPs), coarse grains, and severely overaged heat-affected zones (HAZs). In contrast, the A-joint, employing a smaller tool (Φ24 mm) for the second pass, reduces the total heat input and achieves a refined microstructure with fine (2–3 µm), rounded IMPs in the second-pass weld nugget (WNZ-S) and less degraded HAZs. Electrochemical measurements reveal that the HAZ-Overlap (HAZ-O) is the most anodic zone in both joints. The S-joint shows a larger potential spread (up to ~120 mV) and higher corrosion current density than the A-joint. The hierarchical galvanic coupling, where macro-galvanic corrosion between the anodic HAZ-O and cathodic WNZs drives severe localized attack, while micro-galvanic corrosion around coarse IMPs initiates trenching, is elucidated. The A-joint mitigates this damage due to its reduced galvanic driving force (smaller potential spread of ~74 mV) and improved microstructural homogeneity. The enhanced corrosion resistance of the A-joint is attributed to grain refinement, effective IMP fragmentation, and a less degraded HAZ microstructure. Full article

This study develops novel multicomponent Al–Mg–Si–Zr–Cu-based alloys for high-pressure die casting (HPDC) with improved mechanical properties and thermal stability. Four compositions were designed through Zn and Cr additions, supported by thermodynamic modelling. XRD and SEM/EDS analysed phase formation and microstructure, while density, electrical conductivity, hardness, and mechanical behaviour under tensile and compressive loading at room temperature and 200 °C were evaluated. Hardness increased from 166 to 214 HV3 with Zn and Cr due to the formation of complex intermetallic phases. The Al–Mg–Si–Zr–Cu alloy showed the best balance of strength and ductility under tensile loading, whereas Zn and Cr additions reduced tensile performance. In compression, Zn significantly improved strength, reaching the ultimate compressive strength of 697 MPa. Compared with the reference AlSi9Cu3 alloy, the new alloys achieved up to 30% higher yield strength, 13% higher ultimate tensile strength, and improved thermal stability. Among the studied compositions, Al72Mg10Si5Zr3Cu10 showed the best overall performance, while Al67Mg10Si5Zr3Cu10Zn10 was optimal for compression-dominated applications. Full article

In the aircraft industry, with the growing demand for advanced, sustainable structural materials, researchers are increasingly focusing on developing Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys, particularly the Al 7075 alloy with micro-alloying elements. However, load and environmental conditions pose problems for the aircraft industry by significantly reducing fleet service life. Thus, researchers are keen to use micro-alloying elements such as Ni, Ce, Ag, Sn, Ti, and Cd with the Al 7xxx base alloy to achieve enhanced mechanical properties, particularly hardness and tensile strength. Besides micro-alloying, the heat treatment (HT) process and cold working also have a favorable effect on the improvement of the mechanical properties. However, the addition of micro-alloying elements improves those properties more than HT and cold working processes. In this review study, several mechanical properties of the alloy have been comprehensively covered, which helps to establish a comparative analysis between the heat-treated base alloy and heat-treated micro-alloyed Al alloy. The base alloy, after micro-alloying, becomes enriched, with a high formability and workability, high conductivity, and good erosion protection that significantly make these alloys sustainable for the aircraft industry. The impact of dynamic changes accompanying the use of this lightweight alloy, after identifying the sensible necessities for the development of techniques, can effectively change the whole concept of the structural design. Hence, the key emphasis of the present review lies in a better understanding of the correlation between the structure and properties of micro-alloyed Al 7xxx alloy, which heralds a new era for aircraft industries. Full article

Single-pass differential speed rolling (DSR) is an effective route for strengthening magnesium alloys through grain refinement induced by dynamic recrystallization (DRX); however, the accompanying strong basal texture often limits ductility and formability. In previous work, an Mg–2Al–0.5Ca–0.4Mn alloy (namely AXM20504) in the T4 condition was subjected to single-pass DSR with thickness reductions of 20% and 40% with a preheat temperature of 400 °C and a roll temperature of 300 °C, followed by post-annealing at 350–450 °C for durations of 20–60 min to systematically investigate static recrystallization (SRX), texture evolution, and mechanical response. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) revealed that post-annealing promoted progressive SRX, with nearly complete recrystallization achieved at 450 °C for 40 min. This transition was accompanied by substantial basal texture weakening, reduced kernel average misorientation (KAM), and significantly lower grain orientation spread (GOS), indicating effective stress relief and formation of strain-free grains. As a result, tensile ductility increased from ~5% in the 40% as-rolled condition to ~12% after optimized post-annealing, while ultimate tensile strengths were retained above 200 MPa, much higher than the initial T4 strength. While these findings demonstrate that post-annealing is a critical step in restoring ductility and enhancing the formability of DSR-processed Mg alloys, certain types of alloying can also assist in a favorable balance between strength and formability for sheet forming applications. Alloying with Zn has been shown to improve ductility to a higher than 20% elongation at break as compared to 5% for the T4 AXM base material, showing that processing techniques and alloying have a high impact on the formability of Mg-based alloys. The zinc-based alloys in this study include Mg-2Al-0.5Ca-0.4Mn-0.5Zn (namely AXMZ2050405) and Mg-2Al-0.5Ca-0.4Mn-1Zn (namely AXMZ205041), both of which demonstrated improvements in mechanical properties as compared to the base alloy, AXM20504. Full article

Diffusion solidification is an effective method to produce non-dendritic microstructures and reduce casting defects in magnesium alloys. However, the influence of precursor alloy superheat on the solidification behavior and the resulting microstructure remains insufficiently understood. In this study, pure magnesium was used as the high thermal mass (HTM) alloy and three Mg-Al-Zn alloys with different aluminum and zinc contents were used as the low thermal mass (LTM) alloys. The effects of superheat on grain morphology, solute diffusion, and constitutional supercooling were investigated through a combination of experimental casting and numerical simulation using Ansys Fluent and Matlab. The results show that the solidified interface consists of five distinct regions, including two base metals, two transition zones, and a central controlled diffusion solidification zone. A higher superheat of the HTM alloy relative to the LTM alloy promotes a wider transition zone and finer globular grains, whereas equal or lower superheat leads to columnar or rosette structures. The Mg-30 wt.%Al-3.5 wt.%Zn alloy with moderate aluminum content produces fine globular grains due to a thinner constitutional supercooling layer and a higher degree of supercooling, which suppresses grain growth and increases nucleation rate. In contrast, the Mg-55 wt.%Al-6.5 wt.%Zn alloy with high aluminum content forms coarse rosette and columnar grains. Among the conditions investigated, the combination of 10 °C HTM and 5 °C LTM superheats tends to promote the formation of fine equiaxed grains. Increasing superheat above this range reduces supercooling and coarsens grains, while decreasing superheat inhibits interface diffusion and promotes solute segregation. The findings provide a theoretical basis for designing precursor alloy compositions and superheat parameters in controlled diffusion solidification of magnesium alloys. Full article

In this study, AA7068 aluminum matrix composites reinforced with TiB₂/TiC were fabricated via mechanical alloying and microwave sintering to investigate the influence of reinforcement content and sintering temperature on microstructure, mechanical properties, and dry sliding wear. Mechanical alloying refined powders, reducing D₅₀ from 51.5 µm (AA) to 22.5 µm (AC9) and enhancing dispersion and retention of TiB₂/TiC particles. XRD confirmed α-Al as the dominant matrix phase, preserved TiB₂ and TiC phases, and limited MgAl₂O₄/ZnAl₂O₄ spinel formation. Crystallite refinement and increased lattice microstrain were observed with the addition of reinforcement. Microhardness increased with reinforcement content and sintering temperature, reaching 122.2 HV_0.05 in AC9-2. At the same time, the highest compressive strength was observed in AC6-2 (431.05 MPa), indicating that optimal load-bearing depends on densification and interfacial integrity rather than hardness alone. AC9-2 exhibited the best wear resistance, with a cumulative specific wear rate of 2.723 × 10⁻⁴ mm³/Nm over 1000 m. SEM-EDS analysis revealed oxide-rich tribolayers, mechanically mixed layers, TiB₂/TiC fragments, and Fe-rich third-body debris, indicating wear is predominantly hardness-controlled but strongly influenced by microstructural factors. Overall, TiB₂/TiC hybrid reinforcement improves AA7068 wear resistance through combined hard-particle load-bearing, reduced penetration, tribolayer stability, and third-body effects, offering insight for high-performance hybrid aluminum composites. Full article

To support vehicle crash simulation in lightweight automotive design, this study develops high-precision constitutive and fracture models for a giga casting Mg-7Al-1.5La-1Zn magnesium alloy. Through mechanical testing and microstructural analysis, the plastic hardening, strain-rate strengthening, and ductile fracture behaviors are systematically investigated. A weighted mixed hardening model combining the saturation-type Hockett–Sherby and unsaturated Swift models is established. To overcome the limitations of the classical Johnson–Cook (J-C) model in capturing strain rate–plastic strain coupling, a modified dynamic increase factor incorporating equivalent plastic strain is proposed. Comparative fitting with the Cowper–Symonds model confirms that the modified J-C model better captures the twinning deformation mechanism under high strain rates and achieves higher accuracy. Among three fracture models Johnson–Cook (J-C), Modified Mohr-Coulomb(MMC), and Damage Initiation and Evolution Model (DIEM), the MMC model, which incorporates both stress triaxiality and Lode angle, shows the best predictive performance, with an average accuracy of 86.46% for fracture displacement across the full stress range. Microstructural characterization reveals grain refinement and dispersed Al₁₁La₃ precipitates that improve grain boundary properties. The established parameter set and calibration methods provide a reliable reference for material card calibration in crash simulation of giga casting magnesium alloy body structures. Full article

High-magnesium Zn-Al-Mg coatings with different Al contents were prepared using a laboratory hot-dipped galvanizing simulator. The planar corrosion resistance and its mechanism were systematically investigated by analyzing the microstructure and corrosion products at different corrosion cycles. Cyclic corrosion test results show that the planar corrosion resistance does not increase monotonically with higher Al content; the 19Al6Mg coating exhibits the best planar corrosion resistance. Among the four alloy coatings, the 15Al6Mg coating demonstrates the best cut-edge corrosion resistance in both cut-edge and punched Hole corrosion tests. Furthermore, the corrosion mechanism of coatings with different Al contents was analyzed. The types of corrosion products formed on these Zn-Al-Mg coatings are essentially identical. However, as the Al content increases, the proportion of the Al phase and the resulting Al-Zn eutectoid structure increases. During corrosion, the Al-Zn eutectoid structure, which has a lower corrosion potential, corrodes preferentially. This explains why increasing the Al content to 22% leads to a reduction in the overall corrosion resistance of the coating. Full article

Friction stir welding (FSW) is a solid-state joining process capable of producing high-quality joints in materials that are difficult to weld, particularly lightweight alloys. It is especially suitable for high-strength aluminum alloys like AW7075-T651, which are prone to hot cracking and mechanical degradation during conventional fusion welding. The AW7075-T651 alloy is one of the strongest commercially available aluminum alloys, whose high strength is primarily provided by MgZn₂ precipitates. The influence of welding parameters, especially welding speed, on heat input was studied using thermocouples positioned beneath the tool shoulder and in the weld root region. Tool lifetime was evaluated using WC-Co probes with different Co content, while tool wear was analyzed by 3D scanning. Microstructural characterization was performed using EBSD and TEM analyses. The maximum tool lifetime reached 2.7 km. Welding speed significantly affected the temperature in the weld root region, and a minimum temperature of 0.58T_M was required to produce a sound weld. Weld efficiency of 90% was reached; microhardness profiles showed a typical W-shape. TEM and SAED analyses confirmed the presence of an α-Al matrix and strengthening MgZn₂ precipitates and showed a more uniform distribution and refinement of precipitates in the stir zone. Full article

The hot deformation behavior of 7050 aluminum alloy was investigated by isothermal compression tests over a temperature range of 250 °C to 450 °C and a strain-rate range of 0.001 s⁻¹ to 1 s⁻¹. The flow stress was strongly dependent on both temperature and strain rate. At a strain rate of 0.1 s⁻¹, increasing the temperature from 250 °C to 450 °C reduced the peak stress by 72.7%. At 450 °C, decreasing the strain rate from 1 s⁻¹ to 0.001 s⁻¹ reduced the peak stress from 66.7 MPa to 14.6 MPa, corresponding to a decrease of 78.1%. Based on the peak stress, an Arrhenius-type constitutive equation was established, with a deformation activation energy of 179.35 kJ mol⁻¹. The predicted peak stresses agree well with the experimental values, giving a correlation coefficient (R²) of 0.98. The processing map indicates that the optimal hot working domain is located at 400–450 °C and 0.001–0.05 s⁻¹. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations showed that increasing temperature promoted the reduction in second-phase particles, with their area fraction decreasing from 5.3% at 250 °C to 1.2% at 450 °C under 0.001 s⁻¹. In comparison, strain rate had a smaller effect on the particle area fraction at 450 °C. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analysis revealed that high temperature and low strain rate enhanced dynamic recovery and grain-boundary misorientation evolution. The fraction of low-angle grain boundaries (LAGBs) decreased from 71.5% to 38.8% as the temperature increased from 250 °C to 450 °C under 0.001 s⁻¹, and decreased from 48.2% to 38.8% when the strain rate decreased from 1 s⁻¹ to 0.001 s⁻¹ at 450 °C. Full article

To address the uneven deposition of zirconium conversion coatings on multiphase 55AlZnMg under short pretreatment cycles, this study investigated the time-dependent formation behavior of ZrCC in a selected H₂ZrF₆ bath. By precisely controlling the immersion time (20–90 s) and utilizing SEM-EDS and AFM characterization techniques, this study systematically revealed the growth kinetics and film-forming mechanisms of ZrCC on complex alloy surfaces. The results indicate that the Zn-rich phase on the surface of the 55AlZnMg coating, due to its relatively positive potential, preferentially induces the deposition of the film-forming material. Subsequently, dealloying occurs in the Al-rich phase and the Mg/Zn enriched regions, forming Zn-enriched regions that promote the continuous deposition of the film-forming material, ultimately achieving complete surface coverage; the film morphology evolves from an initial needle-like structure to a network structure, eventually forming a nanosheet structure. The film-forming process of ZrCC on the 55AlZnMg substrate surface is primarily driven by selective growth, with electrochemical properties of the alloy phases, significantly enhancing adhesion between the aluminum-zinc-magnesium coating and the overcoat and providing practical guidance for improving surface uniformity and interfacial adhesion of Al-Zn-Mg-coated steel. Full article

Dissimilar 7075-T6 and 6061-T6 aluminum alloy joints were fabricated using pulsed metal inert gas (P-MIG) welding with ER5356 filler wire. The effects of welding current (224 A, 234 A, and 244 A) on macro-morphology, microstructure, mechanical properties, and corrosion behavior were systematically investigated. As welding current increased, the top and bottom reinforcements first increased and then decreased, reaching maximum values at 234 A, while the front weld width exhibited the opposite trend. The weld zone consisted of equiaxed and dendritic grains, with partial remelting of AlFeMnSi intermetallic compounds observed in the heat-affected zones. The microhardness and tensile strength of the joints followed a similar trend of first decreasing and then increasing with welding current, achieving a maximum tensile strength of 203.9 MPa at 244 A, corresponding to 89.5% of the 6061-T6 base metal strength. Corrosion resistance varied across regions depending on the evaluation method. In intergranular corrosion tests, the 7075-HAZ showed the highest susceptibility due to grain boundary segregation of Mg and Zn. In electrochemical tests, the WZ exhibited the poorest corrosion resistance. For the 7075-HAZ, optimal corrosion resistance was achieved at 234 A, attributed to a stable passive film and uniform precipitate distribution. These findings provide valuable guidance for optimizing P-MIG welding parameters for dissimilar 7075/6061 aluminum alloy joints. Full article

Understanding the complex relationships between processing conditions and mechanical properties in aluminum alloys remains a critical challenge in materials science. This study presents a data-driven framework using explainable artificial intelligence to quantify and interpret how different processing routes influence the strength–ductility trade-off in aluminum alloys. Using a comprehensive dataset of 1154 aluminum alloy samples with 10 distinct processing conditions, optimized XGBoost models were developed via Bayesian hyperparameter tuning to predict yield strength (R² = 0.9392), tensile strength (R² = 0.9491), and elongation (R² = 0.6767). The strength models showed high predictive accuracy, whereas elongation showed lower and less uniform reliability, with the largest relative errors in the 0–5% elongation regime. SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) analysis revealed that processing condition is the most influential feature for yield strength prediction, while Cu dominates tensile strength prediction. True SHAP interaction analysis identified Processing_encoded interactions with Cu as the strongest processing-coupled contribution, followed by Mg and Al, with Zn, Si, and Li showing smaller but non-negligible interaction contributions. The decision-tree surrogate is presented as an exploratory rule-extraction tool rather than as a standalone processing-selection classifier. These findings demonstrate that explainable Machine Learning (ML) can support interpretation of processing–property relationships in aluminum alloys when predictive limitations, class imbalance, and the associative nature of SHAP explanations are explicitly considered. Full article