A comparative analysis of tensile and impact-toughness behavior of cold-worked and annealed 7075 aluminum alloy

The present research reports comparative analysis of effects of cold working (CW) and annealing on tensile and impact-toughness behavior of 7075 Al alloy. Cold-rolled samples were annealed at various temperatures in the range of 225–345 °C for 5 min. A remarkable increase in ductility and impact toughness was observed when specimens were annealed at temperatures above 265 °C for 5 min. It was also found that cold rolling has a profound effect on strength anisotropy that enhances with amount of % CW. The maximum strengths were observed in the transverse direction in the investigated alloy. Cold rolling has been found to impart a significant effect on decreasing the impact toughness of alloy that enhance with amount of % CW; this loss in impact energy could not be compensated by recrystallization process. It has also been shown that impact test can be considered as a simple method for measurement of toughness and plastic anisotropy in sheet and plate. The analysis of the fracture surfaces with the scanning electron microscope presented dimpled morphology for the failure ductile mechanism in starting material and fibrous structure with some quasi-cleavage regions in cold-rolled samples, corresponding to the ductile to brittle fracture mechanism.