Effect of thermomechanical treatment on the mechanical properties of an Al–Cu–Mg alloy

The effects of a new thermomechanical treatment on the microstructures and mechanical properties of an Al–Cu–Mg alloy have been studied. It has been shown that the mechanical properties of the alloy have substantially been improved by the new thermomechanical process. Most importantly, the anisotropy is much lower. Microstructural analysis indicated that the improvements in the mechanical properties and decrease in the anisotropy are due to the high dislocation density, strong interaction between dislocations and precipitates, and dispersed distribution of the needle-shaped precipitates.