• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.54-59
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• 2014

In this study, the extruded Al-6.3Zn-2.4Mg alloys were selected among the 7000 series aluminum alloys sensitive to hydrogen environment in order to examine the effects of both the aging conditions and the length of hydrogen charging period on the mechanical properties of the alloy. The specimens were aged for 24hours at $100^{\circ}C$ (under aging (UA)), $120^{\circ}C$ (peak aging (PA)), and $160^{\circ}C$ (over aging (OA)), respectively. Charging tests were performed at RT for 12, 24, 36 hours under potentiostatic conditions (-2000 mV vs (Ag/AgCl)) for 12, 24 and 36 hours in 1M $H_2SO_4$ and 0.1%$NH_4SCN$ solution. The fracture surface was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern in peak aged sample was obtained before and after hydrogen charging from extruded Al-6.3Zn-2.4Mg alloys. The decreasing rate of tensile strength and elongation is represented in order of over aging < under aging < peak aging, and it is believed that the hydrogen recharge is more sensitive to elongation than tensile strength. The formation of $AlH_3$ in hydrogen charged Al-6.3Zn-2.4Mg alloys has been confirmed by X-ray diffraction studies.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.60 no.4
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• pp.329-339
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• 2022

The effect of Cu content on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Al-8.0Zn-2.5Mg-xCu (x: 0, 1, 2, 3) aluminum alloys manufactured by the twin-roll casting process was investigated. The Al-8.0Zn-2.5Mg-xCu alloy showed an increase in surface defects with increasing Cu content. This is because the amount of residual liquid in the final solidification region increased from 9.6 wt.% to 18.3 wt.% as the Cu content increased from 0Cu to 3 Cu alloy. For the 3Cu alloy, as the amount of residual liquid in the final solidification region exceeded the critical point, a large number of surface defects and internal shrinkage defect were observed. The main secondary phases of the four alloys were the T(Mg₃₂(Al, Zn)₄₉) and η(MgZn₂) phases, and their fraction increased with Cu content. These secondary phases mainly existed in the center segregation band, and a fine η(MgZn₂) phase was additionally observed. In terms of mechanical properties, as the Cu content increased, the hardness of the center matrix, secondary phase, and overall hardness increased respectively. Although the yield strength increased, the tensile strength and elongation decreased because the center segregation band was widened from 684 ㎛ to 790 ㎛ with increasing Cu content.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.470-477
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• 2023

The effects of annealing on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu-Si alloys fabricated by high-energy ball milling (HEBM) and spark plasma sintering (SPS) were investigated. The HEBM-free sintered alloy primarily contained Mg₂Si, Q-AlCuMgSi, and Si phases. Meanwhile, the HEBM-sintered alloy contains Mg-free Si and θ-Al₂Cu phases due to the formation of MgO, which causes Mg depletion in the Al matrix. Annealing without and with HEBM at 500℃ causes partial dissolution and coarsening of the Q-AlCuMgSi and Mg₂Si phases in the alloy and dissolution of the θ-Al₂Cu phase in the alloy, respectively. In both alloys, a thermally stable α-AlFeSi phase was formed after long-term heat treatment. The grain size of the sintered alloys with and without HEBM increased from 0.5 to 1.0 ㎛ and from 2.9 to 6.3 ㎛, respectively. The hardness of the sintered alloy increases after annealing for 1 h but decreases significantly after 24 h of annealing. Extending the annealing time to 168 h improved the hardness of the alloy without HEBM but had little effect on the alloy with HEBM. The relationship between the microstructural factors and the hardness of the sintered and annealed alloys is discussed.

• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.100-106
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• 2014

In recent years, Mg and its alloys have attracted a great deal of attention due to their low density, relatively excellent castability, and straightforward recyclability. Mg alloys have been widely applied to various industrial fields, and are representatively used in automotive and electronic parts. According to previous researches, the electrical conductivity of Mg alloys greatly decreases with increasing Al content. However, with the addition of Zn and/or Cu, the electrical conductivity of Mg alloys is maintained or slightly increased, and improved mechanical properties are obtained as well. On this basis, Mg-Zn-Cu alloys have been investigated in the present study with a focus on the effect of adding Zn and Cu on the electrical conductivity. The Zn and Cu contents ranged from 4 to 6wt.% and 0 to 1.5wt.%, respectively. Ternary Mg-Zn-Cu alloys have been prepared by gravity casting in a steel mold. In the as-casting condition, the electrical conductivity of Mg-Zn-Cu alloys showed a linear increasing trend with decreasing Zn and increasing Cu contents. Furthermore, impact values of Zn = -1.5 and Cu = 2.5 were determined for these alloys by electrical conductivity tests.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.16 no.11
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• pp.148-157
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• 1999

The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of three main chemical compositions(Mg, Zn, Si) on extrudability of 7xxx Al alloy with high tensile strength. A few Al alloys based on 7xxx alloys were metal mold cast with various weight*%) of Mg 0.3-1.2%, Zn 5.0-8.0% and Si 0.4-0.7%, to envestigate the effects of extrudability, as well as mechanical properties. To measure the extrudability of cast billets, maximum extrusion pressure and surface temperature at die exit before tearing occurs were obtained by experiment and simulation of thermo-viscoplastic F.E.M. Also the yield and tensile strength of extruded products were tested.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.243-249
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• 2007

The age hardening behavior and mechanical properties of an extruded Al-Zn-Mg-(Cu)-0.1 wt.%Sc alloy were investigated with the Sc addition and ageing temperature. The results showed that the $Al_3Sc$ compounds were formed by Sc addition and distributed preferentially along the extrusion direction. The age hardening of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu-0.1 wt.%Sc alloy which was treated by T6 process was more significant than that of Al-Zn-Mg-0.1 wt.%Sc alloy. The tensile property of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu+0.1 wt.%Sc alloy was also higher than that of Al-Zn-Mg-0.1 wt.%Sc alloy, which is 691 MPa and 584 MPa in strength and 9% and 11% in elongation, respectively.

• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.347-353
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• 2011

There is thixo-extrusion to form high strength aluminum alloy. But, it is a problem that grains become grain coarsening during reheating process because the alloy was exposed at high temperature. In order to solve grain growth during reheating process, calcium was added in Al-Zn-Mg alloys. Primary a grain sizes of semi-solid Al-Zn-Mg-(0, 0.4, 0.6 and 0.9, wt.%)Ca were measured with image analyzer after reheating. Measured primary a grain sizes were applied to LSW(Lifshitz-Slyozov and Wagner) equation to check the effect of Ca on grain coarsening. Coarsening rate constant K values of semi-solid Al-Zn-Mg-(0, 0.4, 0.6 and 0.9, wt.%)Ca alloys were $371\;mm^3s^{-1}$, $247\;mm^3s^{-1}$, $198\;mm^3s^{-1}$ and $166 mm^3s^{-1}$, respectively. As increasing calcium content, K value decreased which means grains are refined. Also, grains of calcium addition were more spherical than that of calcium free.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.96-102
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• 2006

Development of Rotation-Cylinder Method(RCM) is given for Mg-Al-Zn-X(X=Sr) alloys, identifying some of the key factors that need to be controlled and indicating subsequent casting processes. Effects of Sr addition on the microstructure and mechanical properties of as-cast and T6 heat-treated Mg-Al-Zn-X alloys fabricated by the RCM were investigated. The microstructural and mechanical characterizations were performed by utilizing optical microscope, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, hardness test and ultimate tensile test. The solution and aging treatment time was varied to optimize the T6 heat treatment conditions, and experimental results were discussed. The grain size of Sr containing alloys was refined by increasing Sr content, but the tensile and yield strengths were increased by addition up to 1wt% Sr.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.37-41
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• 2010

Creep tests were conducted under a condition of constant stress on two aluminum-based alloys containing particles: Al-5% Mg-0.25% Fe and Al-5% Zn-0.22% Fe. The role of grain boundary sliding was examined in the plane of the surface using a square grid printed on the surface by carbon deposition and perpendicular to the surface using two-beam interferometry. Estimates of the contribution of grain boundary sliding to the total strain, $\varepsilon_{gbs}/\varepsilon_t$ reveal two trends; (i) the sliding contribution is consistently higher in the Al-Mg-Fe alloy, and (ii) the sliding contribution is essentially independent of strain in the Al-Mg-Fe alloy, but it shows a significant decrease with increasing strain in the Al-Zn-Fe alloy. Sliding is inhibited by the presence of particles and its contributions to the total strain are low. This inhibition is attributed to the interaction between the grain boundary dislocations responsible for sliding and particles in the boundaries.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 1997.10a
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• pp.48-48
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• 1997