Spherical constituent particles formed by a multistage solution treatment in Al–Zn–Mg–Cu alloys

The corrosion resistance and fracture toughness of Al–Zn–Mg–Cu alloys are greatly affected by the remaining large constituent particles with sharp corners and sharp edges. Here, we show that with a careful high-temperature solution treatment, these constituent particles can be formed into spherical rather than irregular shapes. This results in better corrosion resistance and mechanical properties for the alloys than the conventional solution treatment. The complex microstructures of the formed spherical constituent particles and their formation mechanism were studied using focused ion beam (FIB), scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED). It was revealed that there are five types of spherical constituent particles formed after the special solution treatment, and each type has its own characteristic microstructural features.