ISSN (1897-3310)
ARCHIVES Volume 15
Issue 2/2015
of
59 – 64
FOUNDRY ENGINEERING
13/2
Published quarterly as the organ of the Foundry Commission of the Polish Academy of Sciences
The Properties of 7xxx Series Alloys
Formed by Alloying Additions
Z. Kwak a, *, S. Rzadkosz a , A. Garbacz-Klempka a, M. Perek-Nowak b, W. Krok c
a
Faculty of Foundry Engineering, AGH University of Science and Technology, Reymonta 23 str., 30-059 Kraków, Poland
b
Faculty of Non-Ferrous Metals, AGH University of Science and Technology, Mickiewicza 30 str., 30-059 Kraków, Poland
c
Zakład Wlewków, Grupa Kęty S.A. based in Kęty, Kościuszki 111 str., 32-650 Kęty, Poland
*Corresponding author. E-mail address: kwakzosia@gmail.com
Received 11.03.2015; accepted in revised form 31.03.2015
Abstract
Currently there is a constant development in the field of aluminium alloys engineering. This results from, i.a., better understanding of the
mechanisms that direct strengthening of these alloys and the role of microalloying. Now it is microalloying in aluminum alloys that is
receiving a lot of attention. It affects substantially the macro- and microstructure and kinetics of phase transformation influencing the
properties during production and its exploitation. 7xxx series aluminum alloys, based on the Al-Zn-Mg-Cu system, are high-strength
alloys, moreover, the presence of Zr and Sr further increases their strength and improves resistance to cracking.
This study aims to present the changes of the properties, depending on the alloy chemical composition and the macro- and microstructure.
Therefore, the characteristics in the field of hardness, tensile strength, yield strength and elongation are shown on selected examples.
Observations were made on ingot samples obtained by semi-continuous casting, in the homogenized state.
Samples were prepared from aluminum alloys in accordance with PN-EN 573-3: 2013. The advantage of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys are
undoubtedly good strength, Light-weight and resistance to corrosion. As widening of the already published studies it is sought to
demonstrate the repeatability of the physical parameters in the whole volume of the sample.
Keywords: Variation of the properties, Quality of ingots, Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys, Microstructure
The usefulness of aluminum alloys is largely influenced by
1. Introduction the possibility of applying appropriate alloying elements and
continuous improvement of refining and modification processes.
There is a continuous increase in demand for high quality
The aluminium alloys have very good properties including
products, with ensured safety of use. Customer demands for the
fluidity, high tightness and small shrinkage. In the as-cast state,
functional properties of aluminum alloys are constantly growing
from a practical point of view, aluminum alloys have a plastic and
[1]. Accordingly, the aluminum alloys are used as material for
a soft matrix. With respect to composition, the aluminum alloys
pipes, tanks, barrels or heat exchange devices, performing not
can be divided into we can distinguish casting alloys and alloys
only their basic function, but also being aesthetic. Aluminum
for plastic-processing [2, 3, 4].
alloys are also used in electrical engineering, as wires, winding in
Visual aspects of aluminum help to increase its application
parts of electrical machinery and devices, in the construction
scope, additionally it is possible to finish its surface by applying a
sector and in making doors, roofs, car fittings, as well as in the
coloured coating or lacquer. The scope of applications is also
fields of communication and transport, and finally in metallurgy.
increased by light weight of aluminum casts. Moreover,
aluminum alloys can be used for patterns.
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1.1. Classification systems for aluminum alloys 1.3. Characteristics of alloys based on Al-Zn-
for plastic forming Mg matrix
Aluminum alloys are classified on the basis of their main Aluminum alloys with the addition of a small amount of zinc
alloying elements. Alloys for plastic-processing and casting alloys and other elements are characterized by high mechanical
have different systems of designation. The symbol of the alloy properties. Leaving the ingots after casting, usually up to a few
intended for plastic working is formed based on the PN-EN 573-1 weeks, does not reduce their plasticity, which greatly facilitates
standard, part 1: The numerical designations system. the first of their cold-working. The magnesium content in these alloys in the
the four digits indicates the alloy group, such as.: amount of 0.4-0.8% causes their plasticity to be constantly kept at
aluminum 99,00% and more 1xxx (series 1000), a high level, even after prolonged aging. In addition, these alloys
magnesium 5xxx (series 5000), do not exhibit brittleness. Zinc with aluminum forms an eutectic
zinc 7xxx (series 7000). system. Eutectic reaction occurs at the temperature of 655 K
(382oC) at 95% zinc concentration. As the result of eutectic
The second digit in an alloy designation shows the reaction, an aluminium solid solution is formed, which contains
modifications in terms of impurities or alloying elements. 82.8% Zn and a solid zinc solution containing 1.1% Al. Zinc
In the situation, where the second digit is zero, it indicates strongly affects mechanical and technological properties of
unalloyed aluminum with a natural, limit value of impurities [5]. aluminum [8, 9].
1.2. General characteristics of aluminium and 1.4. Characteristics of 7xxx alloy series
its alloys 7xxx- series aluminum alloys are casting alloys, which are
intended for precipitation hardening. This kind of hardening can
Aluminum does not have allotropic forms and it crystallizes in only be used for alloys that meet the relevant criteria. The first
regular, face-centred cubic (FCC), with the parameter stage of this process, namely supersaturation, involves heating the
of 0,40408nm. Aluminium atomic weight is 26,9815, its atomic alloy to a temperature above the limit of solubility (solvus),
number equals 13, its melting point is 660, 37oC, and the boiling keeping the material at this temperature and rapidly cooling.
point is 2494oC. Aluminum density in room temperature is As a result of intensive temperature change, there follows the
2,6989g/cm3. It is characterised by high thermal and electrical dissolution of the second phase particles and obtaining the
conductivity equal to 200W/(mK) and 37,67 Ms/m, respectively. material having the structure of the solid solution α-Al. The
Another characteristic of aluminum is its resistivity to corrosion. second treatment is aging. Which is performed at an elevated
A thin layer of Al2O3, appears on its surface and it protects the temperature, but much lower than solvus or ambient temperature.
material against water, atmosphere, concentrated sulfuric acid, Aluminium alloys where Zn is the main alloying element, and the
several organic acids and hydrosulfuric acid. The progress of additional components are Mg or the Mg and Cu combination, are
aluminum corrosion is caused by reducing acids such as HCl and used particularly in situations requiring high strength material
HF, sea water, steam and mercury ions [6]. Aluminium and its [1, 2]. Aluminum alloys based on the Al-Zn-Mg are characterized
alloys are, however, exposed to corrosion in alkaline solutions, by [10]:
such as NaOH or KOH. Electrolytic process of producing oxide high level of mechanical properties,
coating (anodizing), aims to improve the corrosion resistance of
good ductility, formability,
aluminium and additionally it allows to obtain phenomenal artistic
good machinability and weldability.
effects.
Technically pure aluminum is not used because of its
unsatisfactory mechanical properties and a very large shrinkage.
Aluminum alloys designed for plastic working, after 2. Research methodology
solidification, typically consist of soft aluminum grains or
a solution of alloyed elements in matrix, while at grain boundaries To assess the ingots quality of the 7xxx series, the following
there are alloying elements, in the form of eutectic or intermetallic test methods were applied: macro- and microscopic observations
compounds which are responsible for the highest hardening using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and
effect. During plastic working, grains undergo deformation first, chemical composition examination using X-ray fluorescence
followed by intermetallic compounds. As a consequence, in the spectroscopy in microareas. In addition, a study of basic
aluminum alloys which were plastically formed, a band structure mechanical properties was conducted, namely, hardness, tensile
can be observed. It’s constitution depends on the type and strength, yield strength and elongation.
direction of wrought. The crystals of intermetallic compounds, The study was conducted at the Centre for Research and
often crumble into smaller pieces due to plastic forming [7]. Development of Grupa Kęty, and at the Faculty of Foundry
Engineering at the University of Science and Technology
in Kraków.
The ingots were prepared by Direct Chill (DC) casting
process. Observations were conducted for the ingots made of EN
60 ARC HI VE S of F OUN DR Y EN GI NE ER ING V ol u me 1 5 , Iss u e 2 / 2 01 5 , 5 9 - 64
AW-7003 and EN AW-7010 alloys, according to PN-EN 573-3:
2014-02.
3. Results
18 samples were prepared from three alloys: 7010K, 7003,
and 7003S. The temperature of the beginning, middle and end
of the casting process, for all three alloys, was about 678oC. From
two randomly selected ingots, coming form consecutive three
heats, after homogenization, two slices were cut, 25 mm thick,
and additionally two longitudinal slices with a 250 mm thickness.
The samples for analysis after longitudinal turning were etched Fig. 2. Comparison of the basic content of alloying elements (Zn,
in 20% NaOH water solution to reveal details of the Mg, Fe, Mn, Zr) - 7003 alloy, distinguishing the beginning and
microstructure, then the samples were placed in 20% solution the end of the ingot
of nitric acid HNO3 to remove the products of etching.
3.1. Chemical composition analysis
Analysis of chemical composition was performed
on transverse sections of samples, using the ARL 3460 OES
spectrometer. The chemical composition analysis (fig. 1-3) shows
that the content of the elements at the beginning and the end
of the ingots is not significantly different. Two groups of ingots
made from 7003S 7010K alloy series include in their
composition: Zn, Mg, Cu, Fe and Zr, while 7003 alloy does not
contain Cu, as a desired alloying additive. Alloy designation
of 7003S is a modification of the Grupa Kęty.
Fig. 3. Comparison of the basic content of alloying elements (Zn,
Mg, Cu, Fe, Zr) - 7003S alloy, distinguishing the beginning and
the end of the ingot
3.2. Macro- and microscopic observations
The samples for the macro and micro-structural observation
were taken from the outer part of the ingots. Surfaces
for observation were polished mechanically and electrolytically,
and etched. Macrostructure observations for 7010K, 7003,
and 7003S alloys (fig. 4-6) were performed on a stereoscopic
microscope OLYMPUS SZX10 using Stream motion software.
Additionally, using a Nikon stereoscopic microscope,
the microstructural analysis was conducted for a cross-sectional
sample of 7003 alloy, (fig. 7-10) using filters.
Fig. 1. Comparison of the basic content of alloying elements (Zn,
Mg, Cu, Fe, Zr) - 7010K alloy, distinguishing the beginning and
the end of the ingot
Fig. 4. Macrostructure of longitudinal cross section, 7010K alloy
sample - ingot middle section
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Fig. 5. Macrostructure of longitudinal cross section, 7003 alloy Fig. 9. Microstructure of transverse cross section, 7003 alloy
sample - ingot middle section sample - ingot edge section
Fig. 6. Macrostructure of longitudinal cross section, 7003S alloy
sample - ingot middle section
Fig. 10. Microstructures of transverse cross section, 7003 alloy
sample
Using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) Hitachi S-
3400N with a EDS Thermo microanalysis unit, phase composition
observation of the studies material was conducted (fig.11-13), as
well as chemical elements present in the microareas were
analysed qualitatively and quantitatively (fig.14).
Fig. 7. Microstructure of transverse cross section, 7003 alloy
sample - ingot edge section
Fig. 11. Microstructure of transverse cross section, 7003S alloy
Fig. 8. Microstructure of transverse cross section, 7003 alloy sample, 800x
sample - ingot edge section
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In the alloy's microstructure (fig.12) microdendritic
segregation is visible, in interdendritic regions, bright, needle-
shaped precipitates, containing mainly Al, Zn, Mg are found Cu.
At the grain boundaries (fig.12-13) phases rich in Al, Fe, Cu and
Zn were identified. Also, intermetallic phases containing mainly
Al-Fe (65,5% Al and 23% Fe), with some amount of Zn, Mg and
Ni are visible. Moreover, at the grain boundaries there are a few
phases containing Si, apart from the elements mentioned above.
Fig. 12. Microstructure of transverse cross section, 7003S alloy
3.3. Strength tests
sample, 1500x The hardness tests (fig.15) show that the 7003S alloy had the
highest HB value (about 99HB), practically within the whole
volume of the sample, with the exception of measurement number
7. The 7010K alloy has the lowest hardness (the average value is
80 HB). The hardness for the 7003 sample was about 96 HB.
Fig. 13. Microstructure of transverse cross section, 7003S alloy
sample, 4000x
Fig. 15. The HB hardness chart for the 7003S, 7003 and 7010K,
the measurements taken from the middle of the sample to the edge
The highest tensile strength was noted for 7003 alloy (fig.16).
The highest yield point also belongs to the 7003 alloy (fig.17),
lower Rp0,2 to 7003S alloy, the lowest belongs to 7010K.
Accelerating Voltage: 20.0 kV Mg Al Cu Zn
7003S ( pkt 1) 3.33 79.76 1.00 15.91
7003S (pkt 2) 3.26 80.21 1.27 15.26
7003S (pkt 3) - 92.61 - 7.39
7003S (pkt 4) - 91.45 0.85 7.70
Fig. 14. Chemical composition in microareas, 7003S alloy
sample, measurement points marked (% weight)
Fig. 16. Tensile strength chart, transverse and longitudinal cross-
Based on the macrostructure analysis, comparatively section, middle and edge of the sample
the fewest precipitates and with the smallest dimensions can
be observed in 7003 alloy. This results from the low
supersaturation temperature. Bigger precipitates were observed
for the 7003S alloy, and the 7010K alloy was characterised
by clear dendritic structure.
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After supersaturation the alloy's structure becomes more
refined, which can be observed in microstructures. The needle-
shaped phases in microstructures contain mainly Al, Zn, Mg, Cu.
At the grain boundaries, there were identified phases rich in Al,
Fe, Cu and Zn. There are also intermetallic phases visible,
containing mainly Al-Fe (65,5% Al and 23% Fe), with Zn, Mg
and Ni present. Also, at the grain boundaries, a few phases that
contain also Si apart from the above-mentioned elements.
The hardness tests show that the 7003S alloy had the highest
HB hardness, while the 7010K one, lowest. The highest tensile
strength was noted for 7003 and this alloy has also the highest
yield point. 7003S alloy has lower proof stress than 7003 alloy,
and 7010K - the lowest. The average lowest elongation value
Fig. 17. Yield point chart, transverse and longitudinal cross- characterises the 7003S alloy. The elongation values for the
section, middle and edge of the sample 7010K alloy in the middle and at the edge of the ingot
significantly vary. This can be connected with the elements
segregation mentioned above.
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