The natural aging and precipitation hardening behaviour of Al-Mg-Si-Cu alloys with different Mg/Si ratios and Cu additions

The natural aging and artificial aging behaviours of Al-Mg-Si-Cu alloys with different Mg/Si ratios and Cu additions were investigated using Vickers microhardness measurements, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) characterisation. Excess Si and Cu additions enhanced the alloy hardening ability during natural (NA) and artificial aging (AA). Alloys with low Cu and high Si contents exhibited higher precipitation hardening than alloys rich in Mg during artificial aging. In contrast, the alloys with high amounts of Cu were less dependent on the Mg/Si ratio during precipitation hardening due to their similar aging kinetics. The main precipitate phases that contributed to the peak-aging hardness were the L, Q′ and β″ phases. In the over-aging conditions, the alloys rich in Mg and Cu had finer and more numerous precipitates than their Si-rich equivalents due to the preferential precipitation of the L phase. The combination of excess Mg and high Cu resulted in an alloy with a relatively low hardness in T4 temper and a relatively higher hardness after the paint baking cycle. Thus, this alloy has good potential for use in auto body panel applications.