Influence of Zr addition on precipitation evolution and performance of Al-Mg-Si alloy conductor

Abstract The precipitation evolution of Al-Mg-Si-Zr alloy samples was observed by transmission electron microscopy. Addition of Zr into the Al-Mg-Si alloys significantly hindered the growth of the Mg/Si particles and had a positive effect on the particle density. The higher the Zr content, the more difficult was the diffusion of the Mg and Si atoms. The sample with 0.13 wt% Zr showed the best combination of electrical conductivity (34.44 MS/m), tensile strength (198 MPa), and elongation of 17.8%.