Microstructural evolution of Fe-rich particles in an Al–Zn–Mg–Cu alloy during equal-channel angular pressing

The microstructures of a severely deformed Al–Zn–Mg–Cu (AA7136) alloy have been characterized carefully using transmission electron microscopy and three-dimensional atom probe analysis. The Fe-rich intermetallic particles are predominantly Al13Fe4 type in the as-extruded alloy. Significantly, equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP) at 200 °C refines Fe-rich particles from ∼1 to 2 μm to as small as ∼50 nm after 4 passes processing, and effectively narrow down their size distribution with the increase of number of ECAP passes. In addition, small Fe-rich particles evolve into spherical morphology and are in a more uniform distribution. The formations of Fe-rich phases in AA7136, the kinetic and thermodynamic effects in relation to the refinement of Fe-rich particles and their morphology evolution during ECAP processing are discussed.