Characterisation of precipitation microstructures in aluminium alloys 7040 and 7050 and their relationship to mechanical behaviour

This paper investigates the precipitation microstructures in aluminium alloys 7040 and 7050 (Al - Zn - Mg - Cu variants) as a function of quench rate and aging treatment, and the associated compromise between yield strength and fracture toughness. The precipitate microstructures are quantitatively characterised by a combination of techniques covering the different scales involved: transmission electron microscopy (TEM), field emission gun …