Effect of Initial Aging Treatment on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Cryorolled 2024 Aluminum Alloy

doi:10.3901/JME.2025.14.081

Abstract

Abstract: Cold spray additive manufacturing technology has garnered increasing attention due to its extremely low heat input, which effectively avoids defects such as coarse grains, high residual stress, and thermal cracks. However, the performance of CSAM-processed 2024 aluminum alloy deposits remains suboptimal owing to the presence of pores and high-density dislocations. For aluminum alloys, the "cryogenic rolling + aging treatment" strategy serves as an effective approach for microstructure regulation and performance optimization. Nevertheless, the influence mechanisms of different initial aging states on the microstructure and properties of 2024 aluminum alloy during cryogenic rolling remain unclear. Therefore, systematically compared the evolution of dislocations and precipitates in solution-treated and pre-aged 2024 aluminum alloys during cryogenic rolling and subsequent low-temperature aging using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The research elucidated the regulatory effects of initial T-phase and GPB zones on dislocation evolution during rolling. Results demonstrate that the GPB zones in pre-aged specimens significantly enhance the density and homogeneity of dislocations after cryogenic rolling. Furthermore, these high-density dislocations act as nucleation sites during subsequent low-temperature aging, promoting the precipitation of numerous finely dispersed S′ precipitates (15-20 nm). The high-density S′ precipitates effectively entangle and store dislocations, resulting in superior strength-ductility synergy: a yield strength of 488 MPa with 8.5% uniform elongation. The strength surpasses that of commercial peak-aged 2024 alloy by approximately 40% while maintaining comparable uniform deformation capability. This work validates the remarkable effectiveness of cryogenic rolling in optimizing the properties of cold-sprayed aluminum alloys.

Key words: cold sprayed 2024 aluminum alloy, cryogenic rolling, initial aging stages, dislocation, precipitation, mechanical properties

CLC Number:

TG146

ZHANG Lingyu, QI Yutong, CHEN Wei, LI Shuhui, LIN Zhongqin. Effect of Initial Aging Treatment on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Cryorolled 2024 Aluminum Alloy[J]. Journal of Mechanical Engineering, 2025, 61(14): 81-90.

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