Correlation between Electrical Resistivity, Particle Dissolution, Precipitation of Dispersoids, and Recrystallization Behavior of AA7020 Aluminum Alloy

This research concerns the effect of homogenization treatment on the electrical resistivity of AA7020 aluminum alloy variants with different Zr and Cr contents. Small changes in the Zr and Cr contents of the as-cast alloy increase the electrical resistivity significantly. After employing various homogenization treatments, the electrical resistivity decreases, which is due to the depletion of Zr, Cr, and Mn in the matrix, by forming small dispersoids. The optimum treatment proposed in order to obtain the smallest recrystallized grains is to hold the material at 550 °C for 24 hours, which results in the lowest electrical resistivity. The viability of the proposed treatment was tested through hot compression tests and static annealing. Indeed, the samples homogenized at 550 °C for 24 hours showed the smallest recrystallized grains compared to those homogenized at other temperatures.