Effect of Sc and Zr on recrystallization behavior of 7075 aluminum alloy

The static recrystallization behavior of 7075 aluminum alloy containing Al3(Sc,Zr) phase prepared by casting and the relationship between recrystallization behavior and mechanical properties were studied. The addition of Sc and Zr made the Sc–Zr–7075 aluminum alloy remain the most of fibrous structure and high-density dislocations formed in the extrusion process, resulting in the recrystallization fraction of the alloy decreasing from 35% to 22%, and the corresponding fraction of substructure increasing from 59% to 67%. The Sc and Zr effectively inhibited the recrystallization behavior of 7075 aluminum alloy mainly, which was attributed to the fact that the existence of fine and coherent Al3(Sc,Zr) phase (r = 35 nm, f = 1.8×10−3) strongly pined the dislocations and grain boundaries, preventing the dislocations from rearranging into sub-grain boundaries and from developing into high angle grain boundaries, and further hindering the formation and growth of recrystallized core of the alloy.