Effects of deformation processing on the mechanical properties of aluminum alloy 6063

Aluminum alloy 6063 was processed by upset forging and cold rolling at ambient temperature. The tensile, ductile, and hardness (HRN) properties of the samples were studied. Upset forging is determined from the processing of this alloy to obtain maximum ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and HRN. At room temperature, the UTS and HRN increase as the range of reduction from processing increases from 0 to 50 pct. However, the ductility decreases correspondingly, which is indicative of a low strain-hardening exponent. The gaseous pores in the as-cast structure spread when forged, while the rolling had no effect on this casting defect. The pore elongation and thinning promoted superior strength, HRN, and ductility in the forged sample, as compared to the cold-rolled sample.