A Study on Subsequent Static Aging and Mechanical Properties of Hot-Rolled AA2017

In this work, the effects of rolling parameters, cooling media, and deformation path on mechanical properties and aging behavior of hot-rolled AA2017 were studied. First, hot-rolling experiments were conducted under different working conditions, and the rolled strips were then aged at room temperature for up to 57 days during which hardness and tensile tests were carried out to record the changes in the mechanical properties of the alloy. Furthermore, due to the importance of static recrystallization on subsequent aging behavior, the rate of recrystallization was also computed. To this end, a mathematical model was developed to predict thermomechanical responses during hot rolling using the finite element software, Abaqus/Explicit. Then, a physically-based model was employed for the determination of the kinetics of static recrystallization using the predicted thermomechanical parameters. Finally, the effects of rolling schedule on the mechanical properties and the aging behavior of rolled alloy were evaluated by means of the experimental results and the predictions. The results indicate that natural aging occurs in the hot-rolled alloy, while its influence on the mechanical properties is highly affected by the static recrystallization occurring in the interpass region and/or after rolling on the run-out table.