Abstract
In recent decades, microstructure and texture engineering has become an indispensable factor in meeting the rising demands in mechanical properties and forming behavior of aluminum alloys. Alloying elements, such as Fe and Mn in AlMg(Mn) alloys, affect the number density, size and morphology of both the primary and secondary phases, thus altering the grain size and orientation of the final annealed sheet by Zener pinning and particle stimulated nucleation (PSN). The present study investigates the grain size and texture of four laboratory processed AlMg(Mn) alloys with various Fe and Mn levels (see Part I). Common models for deriving the Zener-limit grain size are discussed in the light of the experimental data. The results underline the significant grain refinement by dispersoids in high Mn alloys and show a good correlation with the Smith–Zener equation, when weighting the volume fraction of the dispersoids with an exponent of 0.33. Moreover, for high Fe alloys a certain reduction in the average grain size is obtained due to pinning effects and PSN of coarse primary phases. The texture analysis focuses on characteristic texture transformations occurring with pinning effects and PSN. However, the discussion of the texture and typical PSN components is only possible in terms of trends, as all alloys exhibit an almost random distribution of orientations.
Highlights
With the increasing demands on material recycling, especially in the field of lightweight materials, such as aluminum alloys, a profound knowledge of the effects of increased impurity levels (e.g., Fe) on the property profile of the manufactured products is of essential importance
The properties of the various aluminum alloys should be maintained even with increased content of impurity elements and meet the application requirements [1,2] In the category of AlMg(Mn) (5xxx) alloys, which unify medium strength and good formability, as well as good corrosion resistance, the final properties are largely determined by the solute content of Mg, the cold rolling degree (CRD) and the microstructure [3,4] with superior deep-drawing properties, the AlMg(Mn) alloys are widely used in the automotive industry [5,6]
The present study focuses on the microstructure and texture evolution in 5xxx Al alloys with different Fe and Mn levels
Summary
With the increasing demands on material recycling, especially in the field of lightweight materials, such as aluminum alloys, a profound knowledge of the effects of increased impurity levels (e.g., Fe) on the property profile of the manufactured products is of essential importance. The main secondary alloying element Mn tends to coarsen and spheroidize the constituent Al-Fe(-Si) phases and initiates the formation of secondary phases (dispersoids) of type Al6Mn during homogenization [12,13]. These dispersoids play a crucial role in grain size control during subsequent rolling and recrystallization processes [14]. The precipitation kinetics, grain size and, the properties of Mn, Fe and Si containing 5xxx aluminum alloys are strongly affected by the cooling rate in the casting process. A comprehensive overview on the details of primary and secondary phases formed in AlMg(Mn) alloys with varying Fe and Mn additions under different processing parameters, such as solidification conditions, homogenization temperature and degree of cold rolling, is given in Part I of this work [15]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
