Microstructural Evolution of Cold-Rolled AA7075 Sheet during Solution Treatment

The influence of heating rate on the microstructural evolution of a cold-rolled AA7075 alloy sheet during solution heat treatment was examined using electrical conductivity, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and electron backscatter diffraction. The results indicate that the dissolution of soluble phases takes place during the heating process. The heating rates affect the dissolution process of soluble phases, and these phases completely dissolve into matrix after solution treatment. Recrystallized and elongated grains are produced after solution treatment by both fast and slow heating rates, while the grains of the rapidly heated sample are much finer. The elongated grains are attributed to the difference in the pinning pressure of boundary migration between the rolling and normal directions. The {111}<110> texture, as well as typical recrystallization textures, were found in both fast and slowly heated samples after solution treatment, but the textures, especially the {111}<110> component in the slow-heated sample, are much stronger, leading to an anisotropy in the tensile properties after artificial aging.