Effect of Heat Treatment Processes on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of High-Strength Aluminum Alloy Deposited Layers Processed by Fused Arc Additive Manufacturing

In this study, 7075 aluminum alloy welding wire with TiB2 nanoparticle reinforcement as an additive together with the variable polarity TIG welding arc as a heat source were applied to produce thin-walled deposited layer samples. Results indicated that the performance of the deposited structure of 7075 aluminum alloy with a TiB2 reinforcement phase was significantly improved compared to the deposited structure of ordinary 7075 aluminum alloy welding wire. Meanwhile, the precipitation of the TiB2 reinforcement phase was insufficient within the structure, and the enhancing effect could not be fully exerted. Moreover, the 7-series aluminum alloy contained a large amount of Zn and Mg elements inside. If the soluble crystalline phase was not fully dissolved, severe stress corrosion could be caused, which inevitably led to a decrease in the mechanical properties. To further improve the performance of the deposited layer, a T6 heat treatment process was performed at 470 degrees C for 2 h, followed by rapid cooling with distilled water and artificial aging at 120 degrees C for 24 h. After heat treatment, many second phases appeared in the microstructure of the deposited layer, and the tensile strength increased from (361.8 +/- 4.8) MPa to (510.2 +/- 5.4) MPa together with the elongation which increased from (9.5 +/- 0.5) % to (10.2 +/- 0.4) %. The fracture mode of the fracture was a ductile fracture along grain boundaries. The microhardness increased from (145 +/- 5) HV to (190 +/- 4) HV and exhibited good corrosion resistance in a 3.5% NaCl solution corrosion test.