Heat

Treatable Aluminum Alloys

A heat treatable alloy forms precipitates that lead to increased
strength. Selected castable and wrought alloys are heat treatable.

Regardless of the alloy type, the general process includes:
1.  a solu?on treatment to bring the precipita?ng elements into
solid solu?on
2.  a quenching step to prevent the precipita?on of coarse par?cles
that occurs during slow cooling
3.  followed by a temper at either room or elevated temperature to
form fine second phase precipitates.

1
Aluminum Alloy Tempers

2
 Cast Heat Treatable Alloys

Al alloy 356 has 7 wt. % silicon to improve castability, and 0.35 wt. %
magnesium to enable the precipita?on strengthening via Mg2Si
par?cle forma?on (Mg2Si par?cle phase frac?on approximately 0.01).

Since we cast a shape, there is no mechanical deforma?on to modify
the microstructure by recrystalliza?on. 3
Yield Strength vs. Elonga?on for Alloy 356

4
 Wrought Heat Treatable Alloys

For wrought alloys, aUer shape forming the material is heated so

any strengthening from cold working is lost by recrystalliza?on
and replaced by strengthening due to second phase precipita?on.

Examples include 2000, 6000 and 7000 series aluminum alloys.
5
7000 Series Al Alloys

6
Wrought Heat Treatable Alloy Examples

7
Yield Stress vs. Duc?lity