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Metal Science and Heat Treatment

UDC

Vol. 38, Nos. 9 - 10, 1996

669.55

EFFECT OF ALLOYING, HEAT TREATMENT, AND DEFORMATION


ON THE STRUCTURE AND PROPERTIES OF DAMPING Z n - A I ALLOYS
A. I. S k v o r t s o v ~
Translated from Metallovedenie i Termicheskaya Obrabotka Metallov, No. 9, pp. 27 - 2 9 , September, 1996.
The damping capacity, mechanical properties, and structure of Zn - AI alloys are studied as a function of the
regime of heat treatment, plastic deformation (hydroextrusion), and alloying with Fe, Be, Cu, and Mg. The
present work continues previous investigations of damping Zn - AI alloys conducted by the author.

but increases their strength and corrosion resistance. Russian


specialists use Z n - AI alloys with Cu and Mg admixtures of
grade TsA and TsAM, whose foreign counterparts are ZA = 8,
ZA = 12, Z A = 27 [10].
The present work considers the effect of successive magnesium and copper alloying on the properties of alloys with
an elevated content of Al relative to monotectoid alloys (4 - 6 in
Table 1), i.e., lighter and stronger alloys retaining an elevated
damping capacity [7], and the effect of beryllium and copper
alloying on the properties of monotectoid alloys (1 - 3 in Table 1), i.e., in the region of AI concentrations corresponding
to the maximum damping capacity [7].
Alloys based on Z n - 4 9 / , AI. The dependence of the
damping capacity of these alloys on the aging temperature
(hardening from the a'-region from 415C) has a maximum.
The addition of Mg and Cu to the Z n - 4 9 % AI alloy decreases the height of the maximum 6 and shifts it to higher
aging temperatures.
The cause of the appearance of the maxima in 6 has been
established by means of an x-ray diffraction analysis. As a result of supercooling of the ct'-phase to room temperature the
proportion of the volumes of the ct'-, ct-, and 13-phases is
3 : 3 : 4. Alloyed alloys contain only the ct'-phase. This im-

Intense development of alloys based on Z n - A I as a


damping material began in foreign countries in the 1950s
[ 1, 2]. In Russia these alloys have been mainly investigated
as superplastic materials [3, 4]. The damping properties of
Zn - AI alloys have been considered in [5, 6]. However, the
authors o f [5] did not use heat treatment as an important factor in increasing the damping capacity, and the alloy suggested in [6] had an unsatisfactory damping capacity.
The author o f the present work studied the damping, mechanical, and physical properties of binary Zn - AI alloys as a
function of the heat treatment regime in [7]. The present paper is devoted to the effects of alloying, pressure treatment
(hydroextrusion), and structure on the properties of binary
Zn - AI alloys.
The methods for fabricating the alloys and the methods
for their investigation (electron-microscopic, internal friction) are described in [7]. An x-ray diffraction analysis was
conducted on a DRON-2 diffractometer with the use of cobalt
/Ca radiation. The alloys were deformed at 350C with a deglee e = 12 - 5 5 % with cooling of the preforms in water. The
specimens for the investigation were cut from hardened preforms.
Recent domestic research on the topic is mainly represented by [6], which proposes a damping Z n - AI alloy containing 3 5 - 4 5 % Zn, 0 . 0 2 - 0.09% Ti, and the remainder AI
and having a relatively low damping capacity characterized
by a logarithmic decrement 6 = 0.012.
In foreign countries the investigation of damping Zn - Ai
alloys is much more intense. The data on the effect of alloying on the damping and other properties are contained predominantly in descriptions of patents. However, they are limited and bear little information (for example, [8]).
It is known from [9] that alloying with magnesium and
copper decreases the damping capacity ofZn - 22% AI alloys

TABLE I
Content o f e l e m e n t s , % *
Alloy
AI

Fe

22.7

22.9

1.2

23.0

1.2

48.6

48.7

48.6

Be

Cu

Mg

0.1

0.1

1.2

0.13

1.0

0.12

* T h e r e m a i n d e r is Zn.

I Vyatka State E n g i n e e r i n g University, Vyatka, Russia.

395
0026.0673/96/0910-0395515.00 O 1997 Plenum Publishing Corl~rltion

396

A . I . Skvortsov

decrease in their damping capacity (Fig. l b). Due to


the higher content of Zn the damping capacity o f this group
of alloyed alloys is higher than in alloyed alloys based on
1.0
Zn - 49% AI (Fig. I a).
0.5
The dependence of the damping capacity on the aging
temperature (hardening from 370C) has a slight maximum
0
6
6
q 3
~""~0
only for the most alloyed composition 3, which is explainable
HV
by monotectoid decomposition of the retained ct'-phase
150
formed in hardening (Fig. 2c).
The dependence of the hardness o f these alloys on the ag100
ing temperature has a minimum (see Fig. l b). Alloyed alloys
exhibit it at higher temperatures. This seems to be a sign that
50
in alloying the process of decomposition o f the solid solution
100
150
200 0
" IO0
150 o,t,C
shifts to higher aging temperatures, and this factor plays a
greater role up to the temperatures of minimum hardness than
Fig. 1. Damping capacity (y = 10 -4) and hardness of alloys based on Znthe factor of solid-solution strengthening caused by dissoluAI as a function of the aging temperature. The figures at the curves are the
tion of Zn in the a-phase in correspondence with the phase
numbers of the alloys (see Table I): a) hardened from 415C; b) hardened
from 370C.
diagram o f Z n - AI.
It can be seen from the data o f Fig. 2 that alloying
strengthens the hardened alloy, which follows from the
plies that the ct'-phase possesses a low damping capacity and
higher degree of distortion of the crystal lattices o f the ct- and
its decomposition increases 6. This is observed in aging of the
13-phases and the widths B a and Bp o f the lines, and decreases
alloys (Fig. la). An increase in the aging temperature intensiits ductility, the phase composition and the parameters of the
fies the diffusion processes in the ~t'-phase, promotes its decrystal structure o f the fee and I~ phases with changing. The
composition, and hence increases 6. Therefore, the magnitude
damping capacity is a function o f the width o f the lines o f the
of the maxima on the curves 6 =f(tag) depends on the degree
or- and I~-phases, the degree o f tetragonality o f the 13-phase,
of decomposition of the ct'-phase into or- and 13-phases.
and the characteristic a=, o f solid-solution strengthening of
The aging temperature at which the increase in 5 occurs
the retained ct'-phase; a lower value of the latter corresponds
at a maximum rate coincides with that of the fastest fall of HV
to a higher content of Zn in the ct'-phase, i.e., to a higher dein all the alloys (Fig. 1a), which indicates that both effects are
gree of solid-solution strengthening.
caused by the decomposition of the ct'-phase. A maximum in
It is well known that the damping capacity o f Zn - Ai alhardness in aging due to segregation of pre-precipitation
loys increases after cold plastic deformation [9]. It is o f interzones is observed only in alloyed alloys (Fig. la).
est to determine the effect of the deformation at a temperature
Alloys based on Z n - 23*/0 AI. An increase in the conexceeding that of the phase transformation (275C) on the
tent of alloying elements in such alloys is accompanied by a
damping capacity of Zn - AI alloys, A regime for heat treatment of a Zn - 22% AI alloy that includes deformation in the ct' region, hardening, and natural aging is described in [ 11 ].
6, %
a
The properties of alloys 1 and 2 (Table 1)
B, mrad
15
were studied 2 after a deformation at 350C with
= 12 - 55%.
a, nlTl
With increasing degree of deformation e the
0.404
I
2
3
damping capacity of the alloys tended to increase.
0.404(
G, vol, %
In some cases this characteristic decreased. For
%.2, N/mm2 b
40
example, the damping capacity of alloy 2 decreased by 0.2% when the degree of deformation
0
C, nm
f 250

.
%
was increased from 44 to 55%.
0.494
0.493 a nm
In alloy 1 an increase in e was accompanied
20
200 [0.2664'
by
an
increase in the fraction of lamellar structure
o
0.2663
I
2
3
(Fig. 3a, b). This allows us to assume that an increase in the damping capacity in these alloys is
Fig. 2. Damping (y = 10 - 4) (a) and mechanical (b) propcrlies, widths Bi3of the line (203)a ~of
the 13-phaseand Ba of the line (331)ch of the a-phase, phase composition (G is the amount of
the phase), and crystal lattice parameters (c) of alloys 1, 2, 3 based on Zn - 23*/, AI after hardConducted by B. M. I~frosat the Donetsk Engineering Physening.
ics Institute.
6,%

6,%

E f f e c t o f A l l o y i n g , H e a t T r e a t m e n t , a n d D e f o r m a t i o n on t h e P r o p e r t i e s o f D a m p i n g Z n - AI A l l o y s

397

Fig. 3. Microstructure of alloys 1 (a, b) and 2 (c, d) after a thermomechanical treatment with e = 12% (a, c) and c = 55% (b, d):
a) x 23,000; b) x 27,000; c) x 29,000; d) x 53,000.

connected with an increase in the area o f interphase and intergrain boundaries.


The 13-structure o f hardened alloy 2 is characterized by a
lamellar form o f the phases, which is connected with its al-

Thus, an increase in the degree o f deformation can cause


an increase in the damping capacity o f Zn - A1 alloys, when
the effect o f the increase in the area o f interphase and intergrain boundaries or in the degree o f tetragonality o f the

loying. It can be seen from Fig. 3c, d that as e is increased


from 12 to 55% the form and dispersity o f the phases, as well
as the damping capacity, change but little (Table 2). It should
be noted that the dispersity o f the lamellar structure o f alloy 2
is lower than that o f alloy 1 (Fig. 3). This is one o f the causes
o f the lower damping capacity o f alloy 2 (Table 2).
The results o f an x-ray diffraction analysis (Table 2)
show the following.
1. An increase in e causes an increase in the amount o f

13-phase exceeds the effect o f the increase in the amount o f

retained a ' - p h a s e , which possesses a lower damping capacity


than a monotectoid (after hardening a monotectoid alloy from

retained ct'-phase.

CONCLUSIONS
1. The properties o f Zn - A1 alloys are affected substantially by the retained ct'-phase. It possesses an elevated
strength but its damping capacity and ductility are low. Its
stabilization in hardened Zn - AI alloys is promoted by an in-

the ct' region to room temperature ~5---0.5 and 7%, respectively).


2. Depending on the degree o f deformation the content

TABLE 2

o f Zn in the retained cd-phase can change considerably,

whereas in the or-phase o f a monotectoid it can remain at the


same level.

3. The degree o f tetragonality o f the 13-phase, which


changes as a function o f e, corresponds to the damping capacity.

Alloy

e.%
12
55
12
55

8,%(,/=10 -4) ct',vol.%Zna,,% Zna,% c/a


3.5
5
3.0
1.8558
4.3
20
3.0
1.8570
1.15
40
14
1.8553
1.20
55
19
1.8564

Notation: Zna, and Zna are the zinc contents in the ct' and ct phases, y is the
deformation amplitude.
Note. The content of zinc in the a' phase of alloy 2 was determined using a
conventional coefficient that allows for the alloying.

398

crease in the content of AI and in the degree of deformation; the Z n - 49 % AI alloy should be alloyed with Mg or
Mg + Cu, and the Zn - 23% AI alloy should be alloyed with Cu.
2. Alloys based on Z n - A I with a structure of a
monotectoid possess a high damping capacity and a good
combination of strength and ductility, namely, 8 = 2 - 7% at
),= 10 -4, 0"0.2 = 3 1 0 - 180 N / m m 2, and an elongation 85 that
ranges between 2 and 42% depending on the heat treatment
regime. Beryllium, copper, and iron alloying of alloys with a
structure close to monotectoid increases their strength but decreases their damping capacity and ductility.
3. An increase in the dispersity of the monotectoid increases the damping capacity of the alloy, if the dispersity
factor is not accompanied by the action of retained ct'-phase.
4. When choosing the regime of heat treatment for
Zn - AI alloys the fact that hardening creates a structure that
retains a nonequilibrium nature up to subcritical aging temperatures should be taken into account. The structure is more
nonequilibrium than in the annealed state. Therefore, the
damping capacity of a hardened and aged alloy is higher than
that of an annealed alloy. The aim of aging can be different
depending on the composition of the alloy, namely, (a)
monotectoid decomposition of the ct'-phase in order to increase the damping capacity and the ductility, when the aging
temperature corresponding to a high damping capacity is determined by the composition of the high-temperature phase,
(b) size stabilization, (c) increasing the strength by dispersion
hardening.

A.I. Skvortsov

REFERENCES
1. A. S. Nowick, "Anelastic effects arising from precipitation in
aluminum-zinc alloys,"./. Appl. Phys., 22(7), 925 - 933 (1951).
2. "Vibroabsorbing A I - Zn alloy with elevated damping and a
method of manufacturing," Application No. 59 - 10985, Japan,
MKI C 22 C 18/04.
3. A. A. Bochvar and Z. A. Sviderskaya, "The phenomenon of superplasticity in zinc-aluminum alloys," lz~. Akad. Nauk SSSR.
OTN, No. 9, 821 - 824 (1945).
4. A. A. Presnyakov, Superplasticity of Metals andAIloys [in Russian], Nauka, Alma-Am (1969).
5. M. E. Drits, L. L. Rokhlin, and G. V. Ryuchina, "Damping properties of cast aluminum alloys," in: Physical Metallurgy of Nonferrous Metals and AIloys [in Russian], Nauka, Moscow (1972),
pp. 184- 187.
6. USSR Inventor's Certificate 430178, MKI C22 C21/00, "Aluminum-base cast alloy," Byull. Otkryt. lzobret., No. 20 ( i 974).
7. A. I. Skvortsov, "Damping and mechanical properties of zincaluminum alloys," Izv. Vuzov. Tsvetnaya Metallurgiya, No. 1,
118- 122(1991).
8. "A method for fabricating a damping alloy," Patent
No. 3032153 FRG, MKI C 22 C 18/04.
9. M. Tagami, T. Ohtani, and T. Usami, "Effects of heat trealanent,
contents of Cu and Mg, and rolling reduction on the damping
capacity and mechanical properties of Z n - 2 2 % AI alloys,"
J. Jpn. Inst. Light Metals, 38, 107- 113 (1988).
10. H. Goldenstein, DAJD Cunha Flores, P. Braga, and P. Fuoco.
"As ligas zinko-aluminio: caracteristicas gcrais alguns resultados de msistencia ao desgaste," Metalurgia-ABM, 43(6), 97 - 102
(1987).
11. I. 1. Novikov, V. K. Portnoi, N. S. Zhuravleva, et al., "Thermomechanical ~eatment for fabricating superplastic sheets from
zinc-aluminum alloys," Izv. Vuzov. Tsvetnaya Metallurgiya, No.
4, 98 - 103 (1976).

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