• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.165-172
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• 2013

In the present study, the microstructure and solution treatment response of Al-Zn-Mg alloys bars by thixo-extrusion was investigated. The alloy bars were solution treated at 400, 430, 460 and $490^{\circ}C$ for various times. In order to examine the microstructures and phase analysis of the samples after solution treatment, it was performed by optical and scanning electron microscopy. And, Vickers hardness and electrical conductivity was measured on the solution treated samples for each condition to investigate the solution treatment response of extruded bars during solution treatment. The results show that the optimum solution heat treatment conditions of thixo-extruded Al-Zn-Mg alloy for minimization of the grain growth and degradation promotion of the second phase is a temperature of $460^{\circ}C$ and holding time of 0.5 to 2 h.