Influence of aging on quench sensitivity effect of 7055 aluminum alloy

The influence of aging on quench sensitivity effect of 7055 aluminum alloy was investigated by means of tensile properties and electrical conductivity tests. The microstructures were characterized by optical microscopy (OM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Compared with single aging, duplex aging led to higher mechanical properties and lower electrical conductivity of the air quenched alloy, thus reduced the quench sensitivity effect. This was attributed to the elimination of negative effects due to loss of vacancies during slow quenching by duplex aging, which resulted in a higher density of stable G.P. zones in the matrix. Within the studied temperature 20-100 degrees C, a higher temperature pre-aging was favorable for reducing the quench sensitivity effect and the optimal duplex aging was 100 degrees C/24 h + 121 degrees C/24 h in this work. (c) 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.