Hostname: page-component-7f64f4797f-9t7q9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-11-03T07:13:11.634Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Optimization of mechanical properties and electrical conductivity in Al–Mg–Si 6201 alloys with different Mg/Si ratios

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 September 2020

Siamak Nikzad Khangholi Open the ORCID record for Siamak Nikzad Khangholi [Opens in a new window] ,
Mousa Javidani ,
Alexandre Maltais  and
X.-Grant Chen
Siamak Nikzad Khangholi*
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Science, University of Québec at Chicoutimi, Saguenay, Québec G7H 2B1, Canada
Mousa Javidani
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Science, University of Québec at Chicoutimi, Saguenay, Québec G7H 2B1, Canada
Alexandre Maltais
Affiliation:
Arvida Research and Development Center, Rio Tinto Aluminum, Saguenay, Quebec G7S 4K8, Canada
X.-Grant Chen
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Science, University of Québec at Chicoutimi, Saguenay, Québec G7H 2B1, Canada
*
a)Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: siamak.nikzad-khangholi1@uqac.ca
Get access

Abstract

The effects of the Mg/Si ratio and aging treatment on the strength and electrical conductivity of Al–Mg–Si 6201 conductor alloys were investigated. Four experimental alloys with different Mg/Si ratios of 2, 1.5, 1, and 0.86 and with a constant Mg level of 0.65 wt% were prepared. It was revealed that excessive Si (a low Mg/Si ratio) increased the peak strength, while the corresponding electrical conductivity decreased. To fulfill the minimum required electrical conductivity (52.5% IACS), the alloys with low Mg/Si ratios required a longer aging time after peak aging to improve electrical conductivity. The alloy with an Mg/Si ratio of ~1 was the best candidate, exhibiting the highest strength up to 54% IACS. On the high end of electrical conductivity (54–56% IACS), the alloy with an Mg/Si ratio of ~1.5 provides a better compromise between strength and electrical conductivity. Furthermore, the strengthening mechanisms and the factors influencing electrical conductivity were discussed for further optimization.

Keywords

Al–Mg–Si conductor alloyselectrical conductivitymechanical propertiesMg/Si ratiowire drawing

Information

Type
Article
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 35 , Issue 20 , 28 October 2020 , pp. 2765 - 2776
Check for updates
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2020, published on behalf of Materials Research Society by Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Pan, L., Liu, K., Breton, F., and Grant Chen, X.: Effect of Fe on microstructure and properties of 8xxx aluminum conductor alloys. J. Mater. Eng. Perform. 25, 5201 (2016).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pan, L., Mirza, F.A., Liu, K., and Chen, X.G.: Effect of Fe-rich particles and solutes on the creep behaviour of 8xxx alloys. Mater. Sci. Technol. 33, 1130 (2016).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pan, L., Liu, K., Breton, F., and Chen, X.G.: Effects of minor Cu and Mg additions on microstructure and material properties of 8xxx aluminum conductor alloys. J. Mater. Res. 32, 1094 (2017).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Karabay, S.: Influence of AlB2 compound on elimination of incoherent precipitation in artificial aging of wires drawn from redraw rod extruded from billets cast of alloy AA-6101 by vertical direct chill casting. Mater. Des. 29, 1364 (2008).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Karabay, S.: Modification of AA-6201 alloy for manufacturing of high conductivity and extra high conductivity wires with property of high tensile stress after artificial aging heat treatment for all-aluminium alloy conductors. Mater. Des. 27, 821 (2006).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cervantes, M.G.E., Ramos, J.A., and Montes, S.A.: Influence of natural aging and cold deformation on the mechanical and electrical properties of 6201-T81 aluminum alloy wires. Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 3 (2010).Google Scholar
Iraizoz, M., Rossello, N., and Amado, M.: Influence of solution heat treatment temperature in the final properties of AA6201 drawn wire. In Light Metals, Hyland, M., ed. Springer Cham, Florida (2016); p. 183.Google Scholar
Zhao, Q., Qian, Z., Cui, X., Wu, Y., and Liu, X.: Influences of Fe, Si and homogenization on electrical conductivity and mechanical properties of dilute Al–Mg–Si alloy. J. Alloys Compd. 666, 50 (2016).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Han, Y., Shao, D., Chen, B.A., Peng, Z., Zhu, Z.X., Zhang, Q., Chen, X., Liu, G., and Li, X.M.: Effect of Mg/Si ratio on the microstructure and hardness–conductivity relationship of ultrafine-grained Al–Mg–Si alloys. J. Mater. Sci. 52, 4445 (2016).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Valiev, R.Z., Murashkin, M.Y., and Sabirov, I.: A nanostructural design to produce high-strength Al alloys with enhanced electrical conductivity. Scr. Mater. 76, 13 (2014).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jiang, S. and Wang, R.: Grain size-dependent Mg/Si ratio effect on the microstructure and mechanical/electrical properties of Al–Mg–Si–Sc alloys. J. Mater. Sci. Technol. 35, 1354 (2019).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Totten, G.E. and MacKenzie, D.S.: Handbook of Aluminum, Vol. 1, Marcel Dekker, New York (2003).Google Scholar
Sauvage, X., Bobruk, E.V., Murashkin, M.Y., Nasedkina, Y., Enikeev, N.A., and Valiev, R.Z.: Optimization of electrical conductivity and strength combination by structure design at the nanoscale in Al–Mg–Si alloys. Acta Mater. 98, 355 (2015).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Liu, C.H., Chen, J., Lai, Y.X., Zhu, D.H., Gu, Y., and Chen, J.H.: Enhancing electrical conductivity and strength in Al alloys by modification of conventional thermo-mechanical process. Mater. Des. 87, 1 (2015).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Xu, X., Yang, Z., Ye, Y., Wang, G., and He, X.: Effects of various Mg/Si ratios on microstructure and performance property of Al–Mg–Si alloy cables. Mater. Charact. 119, 114 (2016).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Buha, J., Lumley, R.N., Crosky, A.G., and Hono, K.: Secondary precipitation in an Al–Mg–Si–Cu alloy. Acta Mater. 55, 3015 (2007).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Edwards, G.A., Stiller, K., Dunlop, G.L., and Couper, M.J.: The precipitation sequence in Al–Mg–Si alloys. Acta Mater. 46, 3893 (1998).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ding, L., Jia, Z., Zhang, Z., Sanders, R.E., Liu, Q., and Yang, G.: The natural aging and precipitation hardening behaviour of Al–Mg–Si–Cu alloys with different Mg/Si ratios and Cu additions. Mater. Sci. Eng. A 627, 119 (2015).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gupta, A.K., Lloyd, D.J., and Court, S.A.: Precipitation hardening in Al–Mg–Si alloys with and without excess Si. Mater. Sci. Eng. A 316, 11 (2001).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marioara, C.D., Andersen, S.J., Stene, T.N., Hasting, H., Walmsley, J., Van Helvoort, A.T.J., and Holmestad, R.: The effect of Cu on precipitation in Al–Mg–Si alloys. Philos. Mag. 87, 3385 (2007).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Li, K., Béché, A., Song, M., Sha, G., Lu, X., Zhang, K., Du, Y., Ringer, S.P., and Schryvers, D.: Atomistic structure of Cu-containing β ″precipitates in an Al–Mg–Si–Cu alloy. Scr. Mater. 75, 86 (2014).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chen, J.H., Costan, E., van Huis, M.A., Xu, Q., and Zandbergen, H.W.: Atomic pillar-based nanoprecipitates strengthen Al–Mg–Si alloys. Science 312, 416 (2006).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marioara, C.D., Andersen, S.J., Zandbergen, H.W., and Holmestad, R.: The influence of alloy composition on precipitates of the Al–Mg–Si system. Metall. Mater. Trans. A 36, 691 (2005).Google Scholar
Flores, F.U., Seidman, D.N., Dunand, D.C., and Vo, N.Q.: Development of high-strength and high-electrical-conductivity aluminum alloys for power transmission conductors. Light Metals, F4, 247 (2018).Google Scholar
EN 50183 Standard. Conductors for overhead lines, aluminium magnesium silicon alloy wires (2000).Google Scholar
ASTM. Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Electrical Conductors (2002).Google Scholar
Teichmann, K., Marioara, C.D., Andersen, S.J., Pedersen, K.O., Gulbrandsen-Dahl, S., Kolar, M., Holmestad, R., and Marthinsen, K.: HRTEM study of the effect of deformation on the early precipitation behaviour in an AA6060 Al–Mg–Si alloy. Philos. Mag. 91, 3744 (2011).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yassar, R.S., Field, D.P., and Weiland, H.: The effect of predeformation on the β″ and β′ precipitates and the role of Q′ phase in an Al–Mg–Si alloy; AA6022. Scr. Mater. 53, 299 (2005).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nemour, H., Mourad Ibrahim, D., and Triki, A.: The effect of heavy cold plastic deformation on the non-isothermal kinetics and the precipitation sequence of metastable phases in an Al–Mg–Si alloy. J. Therm. Anal. Calorim. 123, 19 (2015).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yin, D., Xiao, Q., Chen, Y., Liu, H., Yi, D., Wang, B., and Pan, S.: Effect of natural ageing and pre-straining on the hardening behaviour and microstructural response during artificial ageing of an Al–Mg–Si–Cu alloy. Mater. Des. 95, 329 (2016).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Deschamps, A, Livet, F, Bréchet, Y: Influence of predeformation on ageing in an Al–Zn–Mg alloy—I. Microstructure evolution and mechanical properties, Acta Mater, 47, 281 (1998).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Li, Z., Zhang, Z., and Chen, X.G.: Improvement in the mechanical properties and creep resistance of Al–Mn–Mg 3004 alloy with Sc and Zr addition. Mater. Sci. Eng. A 729, 196 (2018).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Li, Y.J., Muggerud, A.M.F., Olsen, A., and Furu, T.: Precipitation of partially coherent α-Al(Mn,Fe)Si dispersoids and their strengthening effect in AA 3003 alloy. Acta Mater. 60, 1004 (2012).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zhang, J., Ma, M., Shen, F., Yi, D., and Wang, B.: Influence of deformation and annealing on electrical conductivity, mechanical properties and texture of Al–Mg–Si alloy cables. Mater. Sci. Eng. A 710, 27 (2018).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Raeisinia, B., Poole, W.J., and Lloyd, D.J.: Examination of precipitation in the aluminum alloy AA6111 using electrical resistivity measurements. Mater. Sci. Eng. A 420, 245 (2006).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ding, L., Jia, Z., Liu, Y., Weng, Y., and Liu, Q.: The influence of Cu addition and pre-straining on the natural aging and bake hardening response of Al–Mg–Si alloys. J. Alloys Compd. 688, 362 (2016).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kim, J., Daniel Marioara, C., Holmestad, R., Kobayashi, E., and Sato, T.: Effects of Cu and Ag additions on age-hardening behavior during multi-step aging in Al–Mg–Si alloys. Mater. Sci. Eng. A 560, 154 (2013).CrossRefGoogle Scholar