Development of Precipitation Hardening Parameters for High Strength Alloy AA 7068.

The mechanical properties after age hardening heat treatment and the kinetics of related phase transformations of high strength AlZnMgCu alloy AA 7068 were investigated. The experimental work includes differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), differential fast scanning calorimetry (DFSC), sophisticated differential dilatometry (DIL), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), as well as hardness and tensile tests. For the kinetic analysis of quench induced precipitation by dilatometry new metrological methods and evaluation procedures were established.

Simultaneous measurement of anisotropic magnetoresistance and observation of magnetic domains by Kerr microscopy.

We report on a new instrument, which consists of a Kerr microscope combined with resistance measurements. This setup allows for the recording of magnetic domains while measuring the anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR). For this purpose the development of a special sample holder and the extension of the measurement software was required.