Structure-property correlations in Al 7050 and Al 7055 high-strength aluminum alloys

The 7XXX series age-hardenable high-strength aluminum alloys find useful applications in the field of aerospace engineering. Constant efforts are being made to tailor the mechanical and corrosion properties of these alloys as per requirements for a particular application. These properties are a function of factors like microstructure, chemical composition and processing parameters. An effort has been made to collate the information available from different studies conducted on alloys Al 7050 and Al 7055. Databases were created to consolidate the information about microstructure, mechanical properties and corrosion behavior for the two alloys. Existing models were utilized to predict strength and fracture toughness for these alloys and these models were validated using experimental values and a qualitative evaluation was made for the corrosion behavior of these alloys. Available data were utilized to prepare maps that are intended to serve as guides to design aluminum alloys with desired combination of properties.