The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of cryogenic and room temperature pre-deformation on subsequent artificial ageing of Al-Mg-Si alloys. Naturally aged and pre-aged samples were strained to 5%, 10% and 20% at RT (25 °C) and under liquid nitrogen, and artificially aged at 185 °C. Pre-deformation generally increases ageing kinetics for both the naturally aged and pre-aged alloys, which increase in proportion to the degree of pre-deformation, and which are slightly more pronounced for the cryogenic condition. The peak strength is constant, except for when a low degree of pre-deformation is used, in which case it is slightly reduced. Cryogenically deformed samples show an increased strength and hardness, compared to samples pre-deformed at RT, when subjected to an equal magnitude of strain. This difference is reduced during artificial ageing. Synchrotron measurements reveal that this behaviour can be linked to the greater dislocation density, which is not completely recovered even after prolonged ageing at 185 °C.
Keywords: ageing kinetics; aluminium alloys; bake hardening; cryogenic temperature; dislocation density.