Effect of Mg content on mechanical properties and electrical conductivity of ultrafine-grained Al–Mg–Zr wires produced by ECAP-Conform and drawing

• Published in: Journal of materials science Vol. 59; no. 14; pp. 5923 - 5943
• Main Authors: Murashkin, Maxim Yu, Sadykov, Dinislam I., Mavlyutov, Aydar M., Kazykhanov, Vil U., Enikeev, Nariman A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.04.2024; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aluminum; Aluminum base alloys; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry and Materials Science; Classical Mechanics; Cold drawing; Cold pressing; Crystallography and Scattering Methods; Electrical resistivity; Equal channel angular pressing; Heat resistant alloys; High strength alloys; Magnesium; Materials Science; Mechanical properties; Metastable phases; Polymer Sciences; Processing Bulk Nanostructured Materials; Solid Mechanics; Tempering; Thermal resistance; Thermomechanical treatment; Ultimate tensile strength; Ultrafines; Zirconium
• ISSN: 0022-2461; 1573-4803
• DOI: 10.1007/s10853-024-09402-0

We propose pathways to produce high-strength thermal resistant Mg-doped Al–Zr-based conductors to be manufactured in the form of ultrafine-grained wires via deliberate thermomechanical treatment, including aging, continuous equal-channel angular pressing and cold drawing. Al–0.97Mg–0.35Zr and Al–1.17Mg–0.34Zr (wt.%) alloys were chosen as objects for investigation to reveal the effect of Mg on the alloys’ properties in the processed states. Prior to deformation, the initial rods of the studied alloys were aged at 400 °C for 72 h to attain precipitation of nano-sized particles of the metastable phase Al 3 Zr (L1 2 ) in the aluminum matrix. The following refinement of microstructure in the aged alloys by severe straining followed by cold drawing allows achieving a promising combination of ultimate tensile strength over 320 MPa, plasticity with elongation to failure over 2% and electrical conductivity about 50% IACS. We show that the produced wires exhibit thermal resistance similar to that of the commercial high-strength heat-resistant aluminum alloy (KTAL) type AT2 wire, but with a markedly superior strength. The Mg concentrations and parameters of thermal and mechanical processing that maintain a reasonable trade-off between high strength and acceptable electrical conductivity are discussed on the basis of the presented and earlier reported data to produce high-performance heat-resistant UFG Al–Mg–Zr wires. Graphical Abstract