Investigation of the effect of second phase precipitates on the corrosion and electrical conductivity of 7075 aluminum alloys

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the effects of second phase precipitate size on microstructure, hardness, density, corrosion and electrical conductivity of 7075 aluminum alloy fabricated by the powder metallurgy method and aged at 120°C for various aging periods. Design/methodology/approach For the aging process (T6), these alloys were solution-treated at 485°C for 2 h, quenched, aged at 120°C for four various periods and finally air cooled. After the aging process, these alloys were examined with scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, density and hardness measurements. The corrosion tests were carried out using the potentiodynamic polarization technique; electrical conductivity values were measured as IACS%. Findings Results showed that the precipitate size increased with increasing aging period and the maximum precipitate size was achieved for the sample aged for 28 h. The maximum hardness was attained for the sample aged for 24 h, while the same specimen obtained the lowest electrical conductivity and corrosion resistance. Originality/value In this research, second phase precipitates of heat treatment processing affected the electrical conductivity and corrosion behavior of the 7075 aluminum alloy. Also it is understood that the heat treatment period is an effective parameter on these properties.