Investigation on strength, toughness and microstructure of an Al–Zn–Mg–Cu alloy pre-stretched thick plates in various ageing tempers

The 7B04 Al alloy is a precipitation hardenable, plate and forging material, which is widely used in China for strength critical aerospace structural applications. In this paper, fracture toughness, electrical conductivity and tensile properties of the alloy were investigated, and their dependence on ageing treatment details was described. Varying the heat treatment details strongly influences the microstructure and properties of the alloy. The alloy is identified to respond well to retrogression and reageing (RRA) temper. The retrogressing treated material at 180 °C for 1 h and then reageing for 22 h at 120 °C can achieve tensile properties comparable to a T6 condition as well as excellent conductivity. The high strength associated with optimized RRA conditions tend to result in relatively low levels of fracture toughness, but still slightly higher than T651 condition treated material. A correlation has been made among such properties, microstructure and fracture behavior, as characterized using TEM and SEM observations, and the results are discussed in the light of this relationship.