Hardness modification of aluminum-alloys by means of energetic ion irradiation and subsequent thermal aging

So far, we have found that the hardness of Al–Cu–Mg alloy (JIS2017, Duralumin) increases by energetic heavy ion irradiation at room temperature. Observations by using the three-dimensional atom probe (3DAP) have revealed that nano-meter sized precipitates are homogeneously distributed in the irradiated specimens, which are produced through the irradiation enhanced diffusion of solute atoms. The small precipitates contribute to the increase in hardness. In this report, we show the results for the hardness modification of Al–Cu–Mg alloy by the combination of energetic ion irradiation and thermal aging treatment. The hardness of the specimens pre-irradiated and thermally aged at 423 K is much larger than that without the pre-irradiation.The present result indicates that the combination of energetic ion irradiation and subsequent thermal aging can be used as an effective tool for the hardness modification of Al–Cu–Mg alloy.