采用末端淬火试验、扫描电子显微镜、透射电子显微镜和差示扫描量热法研究自然时效对Al-Zn-Mg-Cu合金淬火敏感性的影响。研究结果表明:随自然时效时间的延长,合金硬度不断增加,淬火敏感性均先增加后降低;在自然时效4 320 h时,淬火敏感性达到最大,冷却速率减小导致硬度最大下降率达10.6%;当自然时效时间超过11 520 h时,淬火敏感性很低且不再变化;随自然时效时间的延长,沉淀强化相的尺寸和含量均增加,且有利于慢速冷却处形成数量更多、分布更均匀弥散的GP区,硬度升高明显,淬火敏感性很低。自然时效时间长达17 280h;该合金的沉淀强化相为GP区,未发现η′相。
The influence of natural aging on the quench sensitivity of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy was investigated by means of end-quenching test, scanning electron microscopy(SEM), transmission electron microscopy(TEM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The results show that with the increase of natural aging time, the hardness increases gradually while quench sensitivity increases firstly and then decreases. Natural aging for 4 320 h leads to the highest quench sensitivity with a maximum drop percentage of hardness about 10.6% due to slow quenching. Natural aging time longer than 11 520 h has little effect on quench sensitivity. With the increase of the natural aging time, the size and volume fraction of hardening precipitates increases, and therefore hardness increases obviously. Moreover, a larger amount of dispersive GP zones can form in the more-slowly quenched samples, leading to better hardening effect and therefore lower quench sensitivity. After natural aged for 17 280 h, GP zones and no η′ precipitates can be observed.