Characterization of semi-solid processing of aluminium alloy 7075 with Sc and Zr additions

For thixoforming (semi-solid processing) it is necessary to have a fine globular microstructure in a semi-solid range. Here this has been obtained for 7075 aluminium alloy by addition of modifying agents: 0.5 weight % of scandium and zirconium. The thixoforming process was carried out at 632 °C which gave about 23 volume % of liquid phase. The microstructure of the thixo-formed part (a rotor) consisted of globular grains surrounded by precipitates of secondary phase. The average hardness of thixo-formed parts was 105 HV5 and the tensile strength 300 MPa. T6 heat treatments were performed with solutionisation at 450 °C for 30 min and 10 h. In both cases the ageing time was set as 18 h at 120 °C. The heat treatments led to an increase in average tensile strength up to 495 MPa. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) analysis enabled the identification of precipitates of the metastable dispersoids of L12-Al3 (Zr, Sc) and η′ (MgZn2) phases in the alloy after the thixoforming and T6 treatment. The measurements of rheological properties of 7075Al alloy with Sc and Zr additions in the semi-solid range indicated an increase of particle size and spheroidization leading to an observable decrease of viscosity during isothermal shearing. A shear rate jump experiment showed that with increasing shear rate the viscosity rapidly falls.