Effect of cold work on the tensile and fatigue performance of aluminum alloy 5754

This article considers the effects of cold work on the tensile and fatigue properties of a non-heat-treatable aluminum alloy, namely, AA5754. Cold work up to 50% was introduced by cold rolling. The critical tensile strain for serration initiation was observed to increase with increasing cold work. The fatigue performance was also improved with increasing cold work. Annealing at 200 degrees C for 1 h reduced both the critical strain as well as the fatigue performance. Finally, in experiments with drilled holes and punched holes, it was observed that punching improved the fatigue performance compared with drilling, which was attributed to cold work induced at the hole boundary by the punching operation.