The invention discloses a low-density high-specific-strength
rare earth aluminum
alloy and a preparation method thereof, and belongs to the technical field of aluminum
alloy materials. The aluminum
alloy is prepared from the following components in percentage by
mass: 3 to 5 weight percent of Zn, 3 to 6 weight percent of Mg, 0 to 1.5 weight percent of Cu, 0 to 0.2 weight percent of
rare earth element, 0.08 to 0.12 weight percent of Mn, 0.03 to 0.05 weight percent of Cr, 0.05 to 0.07 weight percent of Ti and the balance of Al and inevitable impurities. The preparation method comprises the steps of
smelting and
casting, hot rolling,
solid solution heat treatment,
quenching, stretching and subsequent aging heat treatment. The Zn / Mg ratio is cooperatively regulated and controlled to reduce the density,
rare earth elements and Zr are introduced for microalloying, grains are refined, a nanoscale dispersed phase is formed, an optimized step
solid solution and two-stage aging heat treatment process is adopted, the
material density is reduced to 2.69 g / cm < 3 > or below (reduced by about 5% compared with a traditional 7xxx
system), meanwhile, the tensile strength is kept at 475-505 MPa, the
specific strength is excellent, and the service life is long. And meanwhile, the
fracture toughness and
corrosion resistance are remarkably improved, and the material is suitable for the fields of
aerospace,
rail transit and the like for material lightweight and has outstanding practicability and industrialization value.