Abstract
The effect of natural ageing time before artificial ageing has been investigated in four Al – Mg – Si(– Cu) alloys, with 0.4 % Mg + 0.8 % Si and 0.8 % Mg + 0.4 % Si, both with and without 0.14 at.% Cu. The precipitate microstructure was quantified by means of transmission electron microscopy. Varying the storage time before ageing for 170 min at 200 °C, we observe an initial hardness increase after minutes, a decrease after several hours and another increase after weeks. The hardness decrease was most pronounced in the Mg-rich Cu-free alloy, caused by a reduced precipitate volume fraction. Adding Cu produces finer „microstructures, higher hardness and reduces the negative effect of natural ageing regardless of the Mg/Si ratio of the alloy. With 1 week storage, an increase in the fraction of the Cu-containing precipitates L and Q was observed in the Cu-containing Si-rich and Mg-rich alloys respectively.