Investigations on the microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of Al-Cu-Al tri-metal strips fabricated through roll bonding and heat-treatment processes

Abstract

ABSTRACT Aluminum alloys have recently become increasingly popular in the automobile industry. In this work, roll bonding technology was developed to fabricate the composite sandwich structure (tri-metal strip) of AA5083 alloy with a Cu interlayer. The apposite surface treatment, intermittent annealing, and thickness reduction resulted in desirable metallurgical characteristics and mechanical properties. The micrographs revealed crack-free flat joints, indicating excellent bonding between the layers of AA5083 and Cu. Also, the presence of sub-grains and dislocations between boundaries suggested a continuous and discontinuous recrystallization process. The phase composition analysis confirmed the formation of intermetallic compounds at the interface. The fabricated composite exhibited a microhardness of 124.2 HV and a tensile strength of 566.66 MPa.