Abstract
The effects of the addition of 0.29 wt % Ce on the recrystallization behavior of an Al–Cu–Li–0.13Zr (wt %) alloy during isothermal annealing were investigated. Ce addition greatly improved inhibition of recrystallization in this alloy compared with that in the Ce-free alloy. The texture of the Ce-containing alloy contained a large amount of β-fibers and fibrous unrecrystallized grain microstructures distributed along the rolling direction in the overall annealing process. The improved recrystallization resistance endowed by Ce addition can be attributed to the large number of small Al8Cu4Ce species formed on the grain boundary. These fine particles with high-temperature stability can exert a Zener pressure on the Al3Zr dispersoid-free grain boundary. The yield strength of the Ce-containing alloy increased significantly, to 38 MPa, and the fracture toughness improved by 56.28% compared with those of the Ce-free alloy. This work provides a convenient and economical method for enhancing the overall performance of an Al–Cu–Li–Zr alloy via recrystallization inhibition by Ce addition.
Highlights
Al–Cu–Li-based alloys are of great interest as aerospace structural materials, which require a combination of high strength, low density, high fracture toughness, and good corrosion resistance [1].Inhibition of alloy recrystallization has been extensively used to improve the overall performances of these Al alloys
Similar recrystallization inhibition has been observed in Al alloys [22], we investigated the effects of Ce addition on recrystallization inhibition in an Al–Cu–Li–Zr alloy
Improved recrystallization resistance was confirmed by optical microscopy, and observation of texture and microstructures during isothermal annealing
Summary
Al–Cu–Li-based alloys are of great interest as aerospace structural materials, which require a combination of high strength, low density, high fracture toughness, and good corrosion resistance [1].Inhibition of alloy recrystallization has been extensively used to improve the overall performances of these Al alloys. An increase in the number of small grains and distribution of fiber-like unrecrystallized microstructures via recrystallization inhibition greatly improves the strength and fracture toughness of an Al alloy [2,3,4,5]. In the fabrication of high-performance Al–Cu–Li alloys, in particular, recrystallization inhibition can be used to avoid intergranular fractures caused by lower Li segregation levels in small-angle grain boundaries of unrecrystallized grains, and improve the alloy strength and fracture toughness [6,7]. This greatly extends the scope of their applications. Joint addition of Zr and rare earth elements (e.g., ScZr and ErZr) has been used to solve this problem [12], but this makes homogenization annealing processes complicated
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