Methods of processing an air-quenchable aluminum alloy component are provided. The method may include solution heat treating the component, air-quenching the component, and artificially aging the component to a yield strength of at least 200 MPa. The air-quenching may include cooling at a rate of 6° C./s to 25° C./s. The solution heat treatment may include heat treating the component at a temperature of 520° C. to 540° C. and the artificial aging step may include heat treating the component at 235° C. to 255° C. for 0.5 to 2 hours. The disclosed methods may produce a high strength (e.g., over 200 MPa) and high bendability (e.g., r/t ratio up to 0.3) component that does not significantly distort during the quenching process. The disclosed methods may be used to produce structural components having complex shapes, such as multiple, non-coplanar mating surface, while staying within predetermined tolerances.
Air quenched heat treatment for aluminum alloys
2019-10-01
Patent
Electronic Resource
English
Heat treatment of aluminum alloys
Engineering Index Backfile | 1941
|Heat Treatment of Aluminum Alloys
SAE Technical Papers | 1999
HEAT TREATMENT OF ALUMINUM AND ALUMINUM ALLOYS
SAE Technical Papers | 1977
HEAT TREATMENT OF ALUMINUM ALLOYS
SAE Technical Papers | 1998
Heat Treatment of Aluminum Alloys
SAE Technical Papers | 2000