• Transactions of Materials Processing
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.5-15
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• 2021

The effects of heat treatments (T6 and T73) on the microstructure, mechanical properties, and high cycle fatigue behavior of modified AA7075 alloys were investigated. A modified 7075 alloy was manufactured using modified-Mg (Mg-Al2Ca) instead of the conventional element Mg. Based on the microstructure, the average grain size was 4.5 ㎛ (T6) and 5.2 ㎛ (T73). Regardless of heat treatment, the modified AA7075 alloys consisted of Al matrix containing homogeneously distributed Al2CuMg and MgZn2 phases with reduced Fe-intermetallic compound. Room temperature tensile tests showed that the properties of modified 7075-T6 (Y.S.: 622MPa, T.S: 675MPa, elongation: 15.4%) were superior to those of T73 alloy (Y.S.: 492MPa, T.S: 548MPa, elongation: 12.8%). Experimental data show that the fatigue life of T6 was 400 MPa, about 64% of its yield strength. However, the fatigue life of T73 alloy was 330 MPa and 67%. Irrespective of the stress level, all crack initiation points were located on the specimen surface, and no inclusions acting as stress concentrators were seen. Superior mechanical properties and high cycle fatigue behavior of modified AA7075-T6 alloy are attributed to the fine grains and homogeneous distribution of small second phases such as MgZn2 and Al2CuMg, in addition to reduced Fe-intermetallic compounds.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.281-287
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• 2020

Chloride ion is one of the most important corrosive agents in atmospheric corrosion, especially in marine environments. It has high adsorption rate and increases the conductivity of electrolytes. Since chloride ions affect the protective properties and the surface composition of the corrosion product, they increase the corrosion rate. A low level of chloride ions leads to uniform corrosion, whereas a high level of chloride ions may induce localized corrosion. However, higher solution temperatures tend to increase the corrosion rate by enhancing the migration of oxygen in the solution. This work focused on the effect of NaCl concentration and temperature on galvanic corrosion between A516Gr.55 carbon steel and AA7075T6 aluminum alloys. When AA7075T6 aluminum alloy was galvanically coupled to A516Gr.55 carbon steel, AA7075T6 was severely corroded regardless of NaCl concentration and solution temperature, unlike the corrosion properties of single specimen. The combined effect of surface treatment involving carbon steel and aluminum alloy on corrosion behavior was also discussed.

• Transactions of Materials Processing
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.61-68
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• 2021

As part of efforts to reduce the weight of automotive body-in-white, a hybrid center pillar with high strength 7075 aluminum alloy (AA7075) sheet and carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) has been recently studied. In the fabrication of the AA7075-CFRP hybrid center pillar, the AA7075 sheet might go through heating-forming-in-die quenching (HFQ), artificial aging, hybridizing, and then paint baking processes. In this study, we investigate the effects of the heat treatment history associated with each process on the tensile strength of the AA7075 sheet. Typical heat treatment conditions are HFQ for 20 minutes at 480℃ and then cooling down with die, artificial aging of T6 temper for 24 hours at 120℃, hybridizing for 10 minutes at 150℃, and paint baking for 20 minutes at 180℃. The tensile strength of the AA7075 sheet is continuously increased by a series of heat treatments of hybridizing and paint baking and is expected to have yield stress above 500MPa without artificial aging of T6 temper.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.75-81
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• 2020

To reduce structural weight, light metals, including aluminum and magnesium alloys, have been widely used in various industries such as aircraft, transportation and automobiles. Recently, composite materials such as Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics (CFRP) and Graphite Epoxy Composite Material (GECM) have also been applied. However, aluminum and its alloys suffer corrosion from various factors, which include aggressive ions, pH, solution temperature and galvanic contact by potential difference. Moreover, carbon fiber in CFRP and GECM is a very efficient cathode, and very noble in the galvanic series. Galvanic contact between carbon fiber composites and metals in electrolytes such as rain or seawater, is highly undesirable. Notwithstanding the potentially dangerous effects of chloride and temperature, there is little research on galvanic corrosion according to chloride concentration and temperature. This work focused on the effects of chloride concentration and solution temperature on AA7075T6. The increased galvanic corrosion between CRFP and AA7075T6 was evaluated by electrochemical experiments, and these effects were elucidated.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.759-766
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• 2018

Friction Stir Welding (FSW) is a solid-state process, where the objects are joined together without reaching their melting point. It has been shown that this method is a suitable way to join dissimilar aluminium alloys. The current article employed hole drilling technique to measure the residual stress distribution experimentally in different zones of dissimilar aluminium alloys AA6061-T6 and AA7075-T6 Butt welded using FSW. Results are compared with those of similar AA6061-T6 plates joined using a conventional fusion welding method called tungsten inert gas (TIG). Also, the evolution of the residual stresses in the thickness direction was investigated, and it was found that the maximum residual stresses are below the yield strength of the material in the shoulder region. It was also revealed that the longitudinal residual stresses in the joint were much larger than the transverse residual stresses. Meanwhile, Vickers micro hardness measurements were performed in the cross-section of the samples. The largest hardness values were observed in the stir zone (SZ) adjacent to the advancing side whereas low hardness values were measured at the HAZ of both alloys and the SZ adjacent to the retreating side.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.206-210
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• 2007

Aerospace aluminum alloys such as Al alloy 2024-T3 and 7075-T6 are subject to localized corrosion due the existence of intermetallics containing Cu, Mg or Zn. Chromate is currently widely used in the aerospace industry as the corrosion inhibitor for these alloys. However, chromate needs to be replaced due to its strong carcinogenicity. In this study, an extensive pigment screening has been performed to find replacements for chromates. Different categories of inhibitors were evaluated by immersion tests, DC polarization tests and other methods. Phosphates, zinc salts, cerium salts, vanadates and benzotriazole were found to be effective inhibitors for AA7075. Among those inhibitors, zinc phosphate was found to be the most effective in our novel, silane-based, one-step aqueous primer system. The performance of this primer is comparable to that of currently used chromate primers in accelerated corrosion tests, while it is completely chromate-free and its VOC is about 80% less than that of current primers. Studies by SEM/EDS showed that the unique structure of the superprimer accounts for the strong anti-corrosion performance of the zinc phosphate pigment. The self-assembled stratified double-layer structure of the superprimer is characterized by a less-penetrable hydrophobic layer at the top and a hydrophilic layer accommodating the inhibitors underneath. The top layer functions as the physical barrier against water ingress, while the lower layer functions as a reservoirfor the inhibitor, which is leached out only if the coating is damaged by a scratch or scribe. The presence of a silane in the primer further improves the adhesion and anti-corrosion performance of the primer.