Fabrication of Al–35Zn alloys with excellent damping capacity and mechanical properties

Abstract In this study, rolling was performed on a binary Al–35Zn alloy. The grain refinement and dynamic precipitation were obtained in the rolled samples. The nano-sized Zn phase with a rod-like shape was obtained in the hot rolled sample, whereas the precipitated Zn phases were coarsened to hundreds nanometer with an equiaxed shape and located at the triple junctions of the Al grains after cold rolling. The cold rolled sample exhibited excellent damping capacity, mainly attributed to the special microstructure characterized by fine grains, low solid solubility, and wetting interface between Al and Zn phases. Furthermore, the cold rolled sample showed a ductile fracture and high ultimate tensile strength, with the main strengthening mechanisms being dislocation and boundary strengthening. The hot rolled sample with 90% reduction showed balanced mechanical properties, including high strength and reasonable ductility. This work provided an effective strategy of preparing Al alloys with excellent damping capacity and mechanical properties.