Effects of cryogenic forging and anodization on the mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of AA6066–T6 aluminum alloys

In this study, AA6066 alloy samples were cryogenically forged after annealing and then subjected to solution and aging treatments. Compared with conventional 6066-T6 alloy samples, the cryoforged samples exhibited a 34% increase in elongation but sacrificed about 8%–12% in ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and yield stress (YS). Such difference was affected by the constituent phases that changed in the samples’ matrix. Anodization and sealing did minor effect on tensile strength of the 6066-T6 samples with/without cryoforging but it decreased samples’ elongation about 8%–10%. The anodized/sealed anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) film enhanced the corrosion resistance of the cryoforged samples.