Influence of Solidification Rate and Impurity Content on 5/7-Crossover Alloys

In view of an upcoming scrap wave and the need for products with lower carbon footprint, there is an urgent need to increase the recycled fraction in wrought aluminum alloys. However, due to the narrow compositional limits of conventional aluminum wrought alloys and the higher impurity levels in scrap material, the applicable recycling content is limited. Therefore, new approaches need to be identified to increase the recycled content. The introduction of the AlMgZn(Cu) Crossover alloy concept may prove to be a step forward in escaping the corset of conventional alloying systems. The 5/7-Crossover alloy not only overcomes the long-standing trade-off between the excellent formability of 5xxx-series alloys and the outstanding strength of 7xxx-series alloys by combining both properties but may also tolerate a higher content of impurity elements. The scope of this study is to properly address the 5/7-Crossover alloy’s sustainability in terms of its ability to be manufactured from secondary raw materials. AlMgZn(Cu) alloys with different tramp element concentrations were investigated.