LITERATURE CITED

1.

2.

I. N. Fridlyander, High-Strength Wrought Aluminum Alloys [in Russian], Oborongiz,

Moscow (1960).
I. N. Fridlyander, Wrought Aluminum Structural Alloys [in Russian], Metallurgiya,
Moscow (1979).

EFFECT OF ZIRCONIUM ADDITIVES ON THE PROPERTIES

OF PLATES OF TYPE V95pch ALLOY
I. N. Fridlyander,
E. G. Yakimova

S. N. Borovskikh,

and

UDC 620.18:669.296:669.715

Zirconium, like manganese and chromium, exerts a major influence on the structural,
mechanical, and corrosion properties of aluminum alloys of the AI--Zn--Mg--Cu system and on
their technological aspects.
The effect of these elements is associated with the formation
of supersaturated solid solutions of these metals in aluminum during crystallization and
their decomposition in the process of homogenizing and heating for quenching with the
segregation of disperse intermetallides of manganese, chromium, and zirconium.
The zirconium
intermetallide is observed in the form of separately disperse particles of appreciably small
size as compared with segregations of the chromium and manganese intermetallides.
Introduction of 0.11-0.16% Zr in alloys of the AI--Zn--Mg--Cu system contributes to a
lessening of the dependence of alloy properties on the cooling rate during hardening; this
assumes major significance during the heat treatment of semifinished products of large thickness [i]. Good hardenability ensures uniformity of properties over the section of a semifinished product.
Where its content is <0.10%, zirconium has little effect on the structure
and properties of the metal, the grain is enlarged, and the mechanical and corrosion properties are do~graded.
With 0.18-0.20% Zr, the formation of primary zirconium intermetallides
is markedly intensified, and the mechanical properties of the semifinished products are downgraded.
As compared with manganese and chromium additives,
plasticity.

zirconium ensures a somewhat improved

The present paper cites the results of investigation of the effect of zirconium added
to a type V95pch alloy of the AI--Zn--Mg--Cu system in lieu of manganese and chromium.
In
this case, zirconium is an additive that controls recrystallization and the grain size in
the alloy.
We investigated rolled plates with dimensions of 20 1200 x8000 mm and 50 xl000 6000
mm.
The chemical composition of all plates was virtually identical:
6.10-6.13% Zn, 2.222.24% Mg, 2.20% Cu, 0.12% Zr, 0.032% ~ , 0.02% Ti, 0.12% Fe, and 0.08% Si.
The effect of cooling rate during hardening on the properties of the plates was determined on templates with the dimensions 50 250 x 250 mm, which were hardened in air, and
quenched in cold (20C) and hot (90C) water.
Artificial aging was carried out at 140C for
16 h. Specimens used to determine the mechanical properties were cut, in terms of thickness,
from the median layers in the transverse direction.
It is apparent (Fig. i) that the strength properties of the templates quenched in hot
and cold water were virtually identical.
Relative elongation was 2% greater during coldwater quenching than during hot-water quenching.
Like alloy V95, hardening of alloy V95pch
templates in air reduces strength characteristics.
In this case, decomposition of the supersaturated solid solution of Mg, Zn, and Cu in aluminum occurs to a significant degree in the
cooling process.
Ultimate strength is reduced by 140-170 MPa, and the yield point by 200210 MPa.
Relative elongation is the same as after quenching in hot water.

Translated
March, 1982.

from Metallovedenie i Termicheskaya Obrabotka Metallov, No. 3, pp. 28-30,

0026-0673/82/0304-0179507.50

1982 Plenum Publishing Corporation

179

TABLE i
IDirection

Alloy

I hIate
! Aging o f speciickness r e g i m e
m e n cut
TI

20

550
550

12,7
12,8

0,124
0,109

0,039
0,020

L
T

540
550

480
480

12,5
12,0

0,144
0,103

0,058
0,031

520
530

450
400

12,5
10,5

0,158
0,120

0,079
0,042

L
T
H

590

550

10,2

12,5

o,122

5,4

--

560
560
540

510
500
500

h
T
H

530
530
540

T
T2

TI

TI

T2

T3

TI

2o

T2

540

o,o41

0,025

II,2
10,1
6,5

0,134
0,113

0,062
0,032

480
485
490

12,7
10,4
6,0

0,156
0,124
--

0,081
0,042
--

600
600

540
550

10,9
11,0

0,I10
0,098

0,058
0,042

L
T

550
550

490
480

12,8
11,8

0,128
0,106

0,068
0,042

600
600

540
540

II,9
10,0

0,I14

0,052

540
530

480
470

II,9
II,6

0,118
0,086

T
40

0oo

0,i01

5O

V95pch

m|

MJ/m2

600
610

T3

V95pch
withZr

65, %

MPa

T
T2

O'H [ 0"0'2

570

545

- -

- -

--

- -

- -

0,060
0,032

Note: L denotes specimens cut in longitudinal direction, T in

transverse direction, and H in height direction.
To determine the mechanical properties and corrosion resistance, plates of type V95pch
alloy with zirconium were subjected to quenching from 475C in cold water with subsequent
straightening by tensioning with a residual deformation of 2.3%.
It is apparent from Table i that the ultimate strength and yield point of the plates
under investigation are virtually identical in the longitudinal and transverse directions.
In the third direction (height), the strength properties of the plates were 20 MPa lower
than those in the longitudinal and transverse directions.
The relative elongation of plates
20 mm thick was the same in the longitudinal and transverse directions.
For a plate 50 mm
thick, the relative elongation was 1-2% lower in the transverse direction than in the longitudinal, and was reduced to 5.4% in the height direction.
Vaiues of the mechanical properties of plates formed from alloy V95pchTl and type V95pch
alloy with zirconium in accordance with the same technology are in close proximity to one
another.
The law governing variation in the mechanical properties as a function of thickness
and direction is retained for plates of both alloys.
It should be noted that the resilience of plates formed from alloy V95pch with zirconium
is 10-15% higher than that of alloy V95pchTl plates in the longitudinal and transverse directions. Values of the work required to rupture a specimen with a crack are 15-20% greater
for alloy V95pchTl plates than for plates of alloy V95pch with Zr in both the longitudinal
and transverse directions.
The favorable effect of "softening"
(stepwise) aging conditions on the properties of
alloys of the AI--Zn--Mg--Cu system was noted by Fridlyander [i, 2]. Coagulation aging in
these alloys leads to increased corrosion resistance and fracture toughness with a certain
reduction in the ultimate strength and yield point as compared with phase aging, which
ensures maximum strength.
It was interesting to study the effect of softening aging conditions on the properties of plates of the alloy under investigation.

180

TABLE 2

Ou, 00,2, MPa

Type of corrosion tests

550

~0

LC, ~
points

'DO DO

180
52
50

T1

CRTJ"
days

"500

i
I
i

~u

//
//
//
//
.v

//

5--6

75O
T2

63,

T3

180
180
157. 180

a
180

700

I--2

Significant
darkening of
specimen

*Designations are the same as

those in Table i.
#CRT and LC are corrosion resistance test and lamination corrosion, respectively.

Fig. i. Effect of cooling rate

during hardening on mechanical
properties of plate 50 rmn thick
formed from type V95pch alloy
with zirconium (heating for
quenching at 475C):
a) cooling
in air; b, c) in water with 20
and 90C temperature, respectively.

Templates were subjected to two-stage aging in accordance with conditions established

for alloy V95pch plates:
T2 (120C for 3 h + 1 6 5 C for 15 h) and T3 (120C for 3 h + 1 7 5 C
for 15 h).
The character of variation of the mechanical properties of alloy V95pch plates and
plates of type V95pch alloy with zirconium was analyzed.
As compared with aging in accordance with regime TI, T2 aging reduces ultimate strength by 40-50 MPa and yield point by 4060 MPa, while T3 aging diminishes them, respectively, by 60-70 and 50-70 MPa.
The relative
elongation of plates aged in accordance with regimes T2 and T3 remains virtually constant.
The resilience and work required for rupture during impact bending of specimens with a crack
are increased after aging in accordance with regimes T2 and T3. The advantage gained in
resilience by plates formed from the alloy with zirconium is retained when aged in accordance
with the softening regime.
The work required to rupture a cracked specimen is 15-20% greater
for alloy V95pch plates aged in accordance with regimes T2 and T3 (Table i).
The results of tests on the corrosion resistance of plates formed from type V95pch alloy
with zirconium (Table 2) indicated that specimens in the T1 stage, especially those cut in
the transverse and height directions, are prone to corrosion under stress.
After aging in
accordance with regime T2, two of five height specimens failed prior to the time required by
the All-Union Standard (180 days).
In the T3 state, all specimens withstood failure for more
than 180 days. Lamination corrosion of specimens of the plates under investigation, which
were aged in accordance with the T1 regime, corresponds to 5-6 points.
It is negligible (1-2
points) for aging in accordance with the T2 regime, and is virtually absent for aging in
accordance with the T3 regime.
Thus, use of the softening T2 and T3 aging regimes for plates formed from type V95pch
alloy with zirconium is expedient.
Under similar corrosion tests, plates of alloy V95pch were not prone to corrosion
cracking under stress after aging in accordance with the T2 regime.
It follows from the results cited that plates fashioned from type V95pch alloy with
zirconium offer no advantages over alloy V95pch plates in terms of strength, plasticity, and
corrosion resistance.
Plates of type V95pch alloy ~ith zirconium exhibit a somewhat better resilience, but
are inferior to alloy V95pch plates in terms of work required to rupture a specimen with a
crack.
LITERATURE CITED
i.

I. N. Fridlyander,
Moscow (1979).

Deformable Structural Aluminum Alloys

[in Russian], Metallurgiya,

181

2.

I. N. Fridlyander, High-strength Deformable Aluminum Alloys

Moscow (1960).

[in Russian], Oborongiz,

STRUCTURE AND FRACTURE CHARACTER OF V95 ALLOY SHEETS

IN RELATION TO IMPURITY CONTENT AND AGING CONDITIONS
O. G. Senatorova,
N. A. Ryazanova

I. P. Zhegina, and

UDC 620.18:621.785.78:669.715

To provide the necessary life and reliability of modern structures, sheets of high
strength V95 aluminum alloy must possess high strength, fracture toughness, and corrosion
resistance.
This may be done by limiting the content of iron and silicon impurities and by
the use of virgin V95pch and V95och alloys [i], which leads to an increase in ductility and
fracture resistance with maintenance of strength, and also by development of new methods of
T2 and T3 coagulation aging [2, 3] providing high resistance to corrosion separation and
cracking under stress and an additional improvement in fracture toughness characteristics
with some reduction in strength.
In this work an investigation was made of the change in structure and properties of V95
alloy sheet.
During solidification of the alloy, iron and silicon impurities cause the formation of
coarse particles (up to 20-30 ~m) of insoluble iron- and silicon-containing phases which in
deformation are elongated, as a result of which a stronger structure occurs (Fig. la). The
composition and origin of these phases in V95 alloy were investigated in the greatest detail
in [4].
By statistical analysis of the results of quantitative microstructural analysis, we
showed that there is a correlation between the volume portion (Q) of excess phases in sheets
and the iron and silicon contents and that it is clearest with the iron content (Fig. 2).
The generalized correlation equation for the quantity of phases and the iron content has the
form
Q (vol. %) = 0.25 + 9.05Fe (wt. %).
The volume quantity of the phases in production sheets of V95 alloy (Fe and S i ~ 0 . 5 %
each) is ~4-6% and in sheets of V95och ( ~ 0 . 1 5 % F e , ~ 0 . 1 % Si) ~1%.
The average particle
size (across the thickness) in the sheets is 2.5-6.5 ~m.
With an increase in impurity content there is an increase in the volume share of insoluble phases and their negative influence on sheet properties.
It most significantly influences fatigue crack growth rate, especially in the stage of accelerated crack development
(in biaxial repeated tension with AK >12.5-15.5 ~ a . m l / 2 ) , concentrated elongation Ic, Kc,
ac, and other characteristics of fracture.
To a certain degree the action of impurities
depends upon aging conditions and is related to loading conditions.
For example, while the
greatest retarding of crack growth during fatigue loading with AK >12.5 MPa.m I/2 with a
decrease in impurity content occurs in the T1 condition, the maximum increase in the value
of ac determined in single loading is observed in the T3 condition.
In addition, the fracture process is controlled by the more plastic matrix of the alloy.
The negative influence of iron- and silicon-containing phases on the properties of
aluminum alloys may be explained primarily by the occurrence of voids within the impurity
particles or at the particle--matrix interface under the action of plastic deformation,
which promotes early development of the main crack in fracture [5]. In addition, a definite
role is played by the decrease in local plasticity in fracture, which, apparently, is related
to the decrease in the possibility of occurrence of plastic deformation near the crack tip
as a result of shortening of the distance between the particles with an increase their quantity.
Translated from Metallovedenie i Termicheskaya Obrabotka Metallov, No. 3, pp. 30-33,
March, 1982.

182

0026-0673/82/0304- 0182507.50

1982 Plenum Publishing Corporation