Effect of thixoextrusion parameters on mechanical properties of 7003 Aluminum wrought alloy

The processing of high strength Al wrought alloys does lead either to restrictions for geometrical complexity or to high production costs due to low productivity and multiple-step processes. Thixoextrusion process to overcome these difficulties has been under investigation. In the present study, the effect of thixoextrusion parameters was investigated on mechanical properties of 7003 Al wrought alloy. The maximum extrusion pressure of the thixoextrusion process is three times lower than that of the hot extrusion process. The elongated grains which have the axisymmetry with extrusion direction are generally observed during hot extrusion process, while the microstructures of the thixoextruded are isotropic. The tensile and yield strengthes of the thixoextruded bar are lower than those of the hot extruded bar, while the elongation value of the thixoextruded bar is higher than that of the hot extruded bar.