Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of a Friction Stir Processed Al-Zn-Mg-Cu Alloy

Friction stir processing (FSP) was performed on AA 7075-T6, a heat treatable high strength Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy. The two main FSP parameters, the tool rotational and travel speed, were varied systematically in order to understand their influence on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the processed zone. At a given rotational speed, increasing the travel speed increased the microhardness of the nugget (stir) zone; for a given travel speed there appeared to be an optimum rotational speed which resulted in the highest microhardness. The range of FSP parameters used did not significantly influence the nugget zone grain size. It is suggested that the observed mechanical properties are a result of the complex interactions between the FSP thermo-mechanical effects and the processes of dissolution, coarsening and re-precipitation of the strengthening precipitates in this alloy.