• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.18-23
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• 2013

In this study, the effects of cryogenic treatment cycles on the residual stress and mechanical properties of 7075 aluminum alloy (Al7075) samples, in the form of a tube-shaped product with a diameter of 500 nm, were investigated. Samples were first subjected to solution treatment at $470^{\circ}C$, followed by cryogenic treatment and aging treatment. The residual stress and mechanical properties of the samples were systematically characterized. Residual stress was measured with a cutting method using strain gauges attached on the surface of the samples; in addition, tensile strength and Vickers hardness tests were performed. The detailed microstructure of the samples was investigated by transmission electron microscopy. Results showed that samples with 85 % relief in residual stress and 8% increase in tensile strength were achieved after undergoing three cycles of cryogenic treatments; this is in contrast to the samples processed by conventional solution treatment and natural aging (T4). The major reasons for the smaller residual stress and relatively high tensile strength for the samples fabricated by cryogenic treatment are the formation of very small-sized precipitates and the relaxation of residual stress during the low temperature process in uphill quenching. In addition, samples subjected to three cycles of cryogenic treatment demonstrated much lower residual stress than, and similar tensile strength compared to, those samples subjected to one cycle of cryogenic treatment or artificial aging treatment.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.35 no.10
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• pp.1145-1153
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• 2011

The purpose of this study is to relieve the residual stress of Al6061 using cryogenic heat treatment. Experimental T6 and cryogenic heat treatments were carried out to define the convective heat-transfer coefficient, which was then applied in the finite-element method (FEM) to predict the residual stress. The predicted residual stress was compared with the residual stress measured by X-ray diffraction (XRD), and the results were in good agreement. The mechanical properties were estimated by measuring the electrical conductivity and hardness. In addition, the size and formation of the precipitations were observed by TEM and XRD analysis for both T6 and cryogenic heat treatments. The effects of the cryogenic heat treatment on the residual stress, mechanical properties, and precipitation of Al6061 alloys were thus confirmed.