Research Progress on Solute Atom Cluster Strengthening and Toughening in Aluminum Alloys and Its Application

Solute atomic clusters are disordered agglomeration of a few to dozens of solute atoms in an alloy. As an important part of aging precipitation sequence, solute atomic clusters can not only regulate aging precipitation behavior of aluminum alloys to improve the microstructure, but also effectively improve the mechanical properties of the alloy. The characterization methods of solute atomic clusters in aluminum alloys, the regulation mechanism of strengthening and toughening, and their typical applications in aluminum alloys are reviewed. The future research direction of solute atomic clusters is prospected.