Aluminium Alloys

Question 1

What are the three heat treatments of Aluminium - copper alloys?

Answer 1

Solution treatment
Quenching
Aging

Question 2

How does the solution treatment improve the strength of the alloy?

Answer 2

-Al and Cu atoms diffuse into a uniform substitutional solid solution microstructure that opposes dislocations.

Question 3

How does the quenching help improve the strength?

Answer 3

-The copper is trapped inside the material and the grain size is reduced which helps with strength.

Question 4

What is artificial aging and how does it improve the strength?

Answer 4

-artificial aging is aging at at a controlled temperature 130-190 degrees.

-The copper acts as obstacles to dislocations. due to the uniform copper the material has more uniform plastic deformation