Effect of heat treatment on microstructure, mechanical properties, and fracture behaviors of ultra-high strength SiC/Al-Zn-Mg-Cu composite

A high-zinc 12vol%SiC/Al-13.3Zn-3.27Mg-1.07Cu (wt%) composite with ultra-high strength of 781 MPa was successfully fabricated by powder metallurgy method followed by extrusion process. The effects of solid solution and aging heat treatments on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the composite were investigated in detail. Compared to the single-stage solution treatment, more sufficient solid solution effect was achieved in two-stage solution treatment (470ºC/1 h+480ºC/1 h) due to the higher solution degree and more uniform microstructure. According to aging harden curves of the composite, the optimized aging parameter (100ºC/22 h) was proposed. By decreasing the aging temperature and shortening the aging time, the nanoscale precipitates became finer and more uniform, but the increase in the tensile strength was insignificant. Based on the fractography analysis, the intergranular cracking and interface debonding were considered as the main fracture mechanisms in the ultra-high strength SiC/Al-Zn-Mg-Cu composites. The SiC/Al interface with many compounds and the precipitate free zone at the high-angle grain boundaries were the relatively weak regions that could clearly limit the strength enhancement of the composite. The interfacial compounds were identified as MgO, MgZn2, and Cu5Zn8, which reduced the interface bonding strength and lead to interfacial debonding.