The effect of Mn on the mechanical behavior of Al alloys

Abstract

Manganese has been known to be an alloying element of Al alloys that contributes to uniform deformation. Recently, it was found that as the manganese content increases over 0.5 wt.% in such aluminum alloys as the 6000, and 7000 series alloys, both yield and ultimate tensile strength increase significantly without decreasing ductility. The added manganese forms a manganese dispersoid of Al₆Mn. This dispersoid has an incoherent structural relationship with respect to the matrix, FCC, in retarding the motion of dislocations that increase strength. Once the dislocation is blocked by the dispersoid, it tends to change the slip system by means of cross-slip. This cross-slip allows the deformation to maintain uniformly good ductility. TEM observation has proven the above mentioned activities of dislocation by analyzing the characters of the dislocations around and away from the dispersoids. Adding manganese to aluminum alloys not only enhances tensile strength but also significantly improves low-cycle fatigue resistance. Corrosion resistance is also measurable improved by the addition of manganese. After extrusion, the recrystallization is also retarded so that a very small grain size is maintained, contributing to an improvement in the mechanical properties.