Strain Induced Rapid Precipitation in Al-Er-Zr Alloy

The high temperature strength of aluminum can be improved by forming thermal stable precipitates of microalloying elements such as Er, Sc and Zr. Our previous research indicates that composite addition of Er and Zr can improve the amount of precipitations, but the aging time to approach the peak hardness is relatively long. In this paper, we will focus on the deformation behavior of the Al-Er-Zr alloy during hot deformation process and the corresponding microstructure evolution. The results show that the strain can induce rapid precipitation in Al-Er-Zr alloy during hot working conditions. The mechanism of the rapid precipitation and its effect on thermomechanical processing are discussed.