In the present study, the effects of varying heating and cooling rates during the solution treatment process on the microstructure and properties of AA7050 alloy wires were investigated using tensile tests, metallographic microscopy, electron backscattered diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. It was found that the recrystallized grain size of the alloy, subjected to method of rapid heating, exhibited a smaller and more uniform distribution in comparison to method of slow heating. The low density of η' strengthening phases after the artificial aging treatment was formed using air cooling method. Meanwhile, by using the water quenching method sufficient solute atoms and more nucleation sites were provided resulting in a large number of η' strengthening phases being formed. In addition, the alloy processed using the water quenching method displayed higher strength than that treated using the air cooling method for the T6 and T73 states. Furthermore, coarse precipitates formed and less clusters were observed in the matrix, while high density nanoscale clusters and no continuous precipitation are formed when using the water quenching method.
Keywords: AA7050 alloy wires; TEM analysis; natural aging; precipitates behavior; solution treatment.