Role of surface treatment and coating on tensile response and fracture behavior of aluminum alloy 7075

In this paper, the extrinsic influence of a surface treatment technique and coating on the tensile response and fracture behavior of the high-strength aluminum alloy 7075 is presented and discussed. The surface treatment technique is referred to as 'mikronite'. In this technique, fine objects, microscopic in dimensions, are made to impact with the surface of a chosen specimen at both a high speed and a strong force. The surface-treated sample of the chosen aluminum alloy was observed to have lower values of strength and ductility when compared to the untreated counterpart. Chromium nitrate is a preferred coating in industrial circles as a viable technique for the purpose of improving the corrosion resistance of metals that are exposed to environments spanning a range of aggressiveness while in service. The presence of the coating was also found to have a detrimental influence on the strength of the chosen aluminum alloy (7075-T6). The kinetics governing tensile response and fracture behavior, at both the macroscopic and fine microscopic levels, is presented and discussed in light of the nature of loading, presence of surface treatment, presence and influence of nature of coating and intrinsic microstructural effects.