The Effect of the Artificial Aging on the Precipitation Kinetic in the Al-Mg-Si Alloy

Abstract

In this study, the effect of the artificial aging on the kinetics of the precipitation processes in the Al-Mg-Si alloy was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and hardness examinations. This investigation revealed that the artificial aging has a positive effect on the precipitation kinetic. The activation energy of the precipitation process was calculated using Kissinger model. The result of this study showed a change in hardness values and in the activation energy for all precipitated phases. The hardness has high values at the higher aging temperature. The activation energy of the metastable phase β″ is determined as 41.55, which indicates that the formation of this phase is uncomplicated during artificial aging.

Creep and hardening behavior of 6101 aluminum alloy manufactured by wiredrawing process

“…All specimens were quenched at 550°C for 3 h in air furnace, followed by cold water quenching. Based on our previous work on non-deformed 6101 Al-Mg-Si aluminum alloy (Hamdi and Boumerzoug, 2016), these quenched samples were aged at 200°C for 2 h, 16 h and 40 h.…”

“…b is the final stable phase. Hamdi and Boumerzoug (2016), investigated the reaction kinetics of a quenched Al-Mg-Si alloy aged at 150,175 and 200°C. They found that the hardness values during artificial aging at 200°C are higher than that in artificial aging at 150°C and 175°C, and they attributed the highest hardness to b 00 phase formation.…”

“…However, a scientific debate still exists concerning the precipitation sequence andhardening process in these alloys because this precipitation sequence depends on some parameters, such as the alloy composition as indicated by many authors (Marioara et al, 2006;Fang et al, 2010;Banhart et al, 2010), the aging temperature of the quenched alloys or the previous heat treatment before aging (Banhart et al, 2010). Hamdi and Boumerzoug (2016), investigated a quenched Al-Mg-Si alloy aged at 150°C,175°C and 200°C. They found that the hardness values during artificial aging at 200°C are higher than that in artificial aging at 150°C and 175°C.…”