Influence of severe plastic deformation on secondary phase precipitation in a 6082 Al-Mg-Si alloy

The role of severe plastic deformation on the second-phase stability in a 6082 Al-Mg-Si alloy was studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. The alloy was fully annealed prior to undergoing up to six equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) passes using route C. The Orowan strengthening mechanism was calculated on the basis of TEM inspections for the two hardening second-phase precipitates: Mg2Si and Si. The former had a major tendency to be cut and fragmented by dislocations, while in the latter, a dissolution process was induced by severe plastic deformation. Accordingly, the second-phase Si particles became progressively less effective with increasing deformation (i.e., additional ECAP passes). The increase in hardness with the ECAP passes was mostly due to the grain refining mechanism and to dislocation tangles within the newly formed grains. The expected, though if limited, contribution of second-phase hardening was prevalently accounted for by the Mg2Si particles