Description
In the Chemical Process Industry (CPI), the use of materials with high specific strengths can lead to significant cost savings through increased energy eficiencies in the operation of equipment such as turbomachinery. Aluminum MMCs hold promise in such applications due to their high specific strength and specific stiffness. The Praxair, Inc. Materials Engineering Laboratory decided to investigate the suitability of using a new, high strength Al-Zn alloy, which has been recently given the Aluminum Association designation 7034, and a MMC of the 7034-T6 alloy reinforced with Sic particulate, for such applications. These materials were chosen because they hold the potential of higher strength and stiffness without significantly compromising ductility and fracture toughness. This paper discusses the preliminary mechanical properties, such as room and cryogenic temperature tensile, fracture toughness, fatigue, and Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC) behavior, of the unreinforced material.