Authors: EVREN TAN, BİLGEHAN ÖGEL
Abstract: The microstructural and mechanical characterization of heat treatable 6xxx (Al-Mg-Si-Cu based) wrought aluminum alloys was studied. The aim of this work was to produce a fine grained, high strength 6xxx series aluminum alloy by adjusting the processing conditions, namely deformation, solutionizing and aging. Their effects were investigated in terms of microstructure using SEM analysis and mechanical properties by tensile tests and hardness measurements. The initial characterizations showed that Mg_{2}Si and (Fe,Mn,Cu)_3SiAl_{12} were the primary particles observed in the \alpha -Al matrix. Nearly 140HB hardness was obtained with solutionizing at 530 °C and aging at 175 °C for 8 h, which was the optimum treatment for obtaining peak hardness. When shaping (deformation) was concerned, 10% swaging before solutionizing yielded lower strength and hardness as compared to the 40% swaging due to lower strains finalizing partial recrystallization in the 10% swaged specimens.
Keywords: Al alloy 6xxx series, Deformation, Grain size, Microstructural characterization
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