Enhanced strength and electrical conductivities of an Al-Zn-Mg aluminum alloy through a new aging process

A new variable-rate non-isothermal aging (NIA) process that has different heating/ cooling rates in different corresponding temperature ranges was proposed for an Al-Zn-Mg aluminum alloy. Both the strength and electrical conductivities are enhanced simultaneously by the new process. The results show that the alloys experienced the new variable-rate NIA process achieved a 9.7 % higher strength than conventional T6 temper, and a comparable electrical conductivity was obtained compared to T73 temper.