Evolution of Microstructure and Mechanical Properties in a Single-Stage Aged 7075 Aluminum Alloy Pulse Variable Polarity Plasma Arc Welded Joint

A 7075 aluminum alloy was successfully welded by pulsed variable polarity plasma arc welding (PVPPAW) and the single-stage aging behavior of the 7075 aluminum alloy PVPPAW joint was systematically investigated. The results demonstrated that the tensile strength of the welded joints initially increased and then decreased with the increase of the single-stage aging temperature and time. After single-stage aging at 490 °C for 80 min and at 130 °C for 24 h, the tensile strength of the welded joint was 551 MPa, which was increased by 38.5% compared to the as-welded joint. Moreover, the conductivity was 25% international annealed copper standard (IACS) at room temperature, and the resistance to stress corrosion was improved. The main strengthening phases of the weld center were η′ and η phase. The average precipitate size slightly increased with the increase of the single-stage aging temperature, but no obvious change was observed with the increase of the single-stage aging time. The area fraction was initially increased and then decreased with the increase of the single-stage aging temperature and time.