Effect of Zr on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of 7050 Aluminum Alloy

7050 aluminum alloys with high strength was prepared by electromagnetic casting technology.Microstructure of the alloy was observed by optical microscope (OM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) and hardness test and tensile test were carried out to study the influence of Zr on microsrtucture and mechanical properties of the alloy.The results show that the addition of Zr improved the microstructure and increased the hardness,tensile strength and percentage of elongtation of the alloy.When the Zr content was controlled to be 0.1%,the alloy showed optimum mechanical properties of σb=331.6 MPa,δ=12.1% and hardness being 87.8 HBS.