• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.18-23
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• 2005

Effect of cold rolling on microstructural changes has been investigated for a Zn-15%Al alloy to elucidate the reason for its work softening behavior. Fully annealed microstructure of the Zn-15%Al alloy is characterized by ${\eta}$ grains and (${\eta}+{\alpha}$) lamellar colonies, where ${\eta}$ and ${\alpha}$ are Zn-rich HCP and Al-rich FCC phases, respectively. The hardness decreases continuously with increasing cold rolling degree, exhibiting work softening behavior. It is revealed that during the cold rolling, (${\eta}+{\alpha}$) lamellar colonies gradually change into equiaxed ${\eta}$ and ${\alpha}$ grains due to dynamic recrystallization at room temperature, while pre-existing ${\eta}$ grains are only deformed without recrystallization. Furthermore, cold rolling causes the precipitation of dissolved Al solutes in ${\eta}$ grains. In view of these results, change of (${\eta}+{\alpha}$) phases from lamellar to equiaxed morphology, which results in structural softness and increase in equiaxed ${\eta}/{\alpha}$ grain boundaries with higher mobility, and deterioration of solution hardening by precipitation of Al solutes from ${\eta}$ grains, are thought to contribute to the work softening of Zn-15%Al alloy.