Hot Compressive Deformation Characteristics of Al-9.3Zn-2.4Mg-1.1Cu Alloy

To understand the hot compression deformation characteristics of the self-developed Al-9.3Zn-2.4Mg-1.1Cu alloy, the hot compression tests of Al-9.3Zn-2.4Mg-1.1Cu alloy were investigated by Gleeble 1500 thermo-mechanical simulator to determine the best hot processing conditions. The hot deformation temperatures were 300, 350, 400, and 450 °C, and the strain rates were 1, 0.1, 0.01, and 0.003 s−1, respectively. Based on the experimental results, the constitutive equation and hot processing maps are established, and the corresponding strain rate and temperature-sensitive index are analyzed. The results show that Al-9.3Zn-2.4Mg-1.1Cu alloy has a dynamic softening trend and high strain rate sensitivity during the isothermal compression process. The hot deformation behavior can be described by an Arrhenius-type equation after strain compensation. The temperature has a negligible effect on the hot processing properties, while a low strain rate is favorable for the hot working of alloy. The processing maps and microstructure show that the optimal processing conditions were in the temperature range of 400–450 °C and strain rate range of 0.003–0.005 s−1.