Author(s)

Guanjun Gao^1,2,3*, Lizhen Yan^1,2,3, Xiwu Li^1,2,3

¹State Key Laboratory of Non-Ferrous Metals and Processes, China GRINM Group Co., Ltd., Beijing, China.
²GRIMAT Engineering Institute Co., Ltd., Beijing, China.
³General Research Institute for Nonferrous Metals, Beijing, China.

The study investigates the effects of pre-strain on the bake hardenability and precipitation behavior of Al-Mg-Si automotive body sheets. The scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, tensile test, Vickers hardness test, and differential scanning calorimetry were conducted for the purpose. It was found that the pre-strain treatment partially inhibits the natural aging hardening effect but cannot completely eliminate it. The pre-straining significantly enhances the bake hardening effect, with the 5% pre-strain sample showing the highest increase in yield strength and hardness. The formation of fine β" precipitates and dislocation structures contribute to the observed strengthening. Additionally, the study highlights the importance of optimizing pre-strain levels to achieve the best balance between strength and ductility in bake-hardened aluminum alloys.

Al-Mg-Si Alloy, Pre-Strain, Bake Hardenability, Precipitation Behavior, Clusters

Gao, G. , Yan, L. and Li, X. (2024) Effects of Pre-Strain on Bake Hardenability and Precipitation Behavior of Al-Mg-Si Automotive Body Sheets. Journal of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, 12, 53-64. doi: 10.4236/msce.2024.127005.