Some aspects of microstructure and properties of Al-Mg alloys after shear spinning and cold rolling

Abstract

Three commercial Al--Mg alloys containing 3 to 6 mass% of Mg (AlMg3, AlMg4.5Mn and AlMg6Mn) were subjected to different forming processes: shear spinning and cold rolling. The effect of Mg content and reduction in thickness on the tensile properties and microstructure evolution of Al-Mg alloys were studied. Both optical (OM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used for the microstructure characterization. The results show that the addition of Mg in these alloys increases the yield strength (YS) and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) in both cold rolled and spun specimens. The strength of all Al-Mg alloys after shear spinning was lower compared to the strength after cold rolling for the same strain. This effect was attributed to the occurrence of dynamic recovery during shear spinning and confirmed by transmission electron microscopy.