Enhancing the tensile yield strength of A6082 aluminum alloy with rapid heat solutionizing

The major objective of the present study is to clarify the effects of rapid heat solutionizing on tensile strength of A6082 aluminum alloy. In the present investigation, grain dimensions and insoluble IMC particle were investigated both in the traditional resistance heating and in the rapidly heating specimens. Furthermore, the effect of rapid heat solutionizing on tensile strength under an identical artificial aging condition was studied pertaining to the observation on the insoluble particles present in the material due to the solidificational process and which undergone rapid heat solutionizing. The critical strain of tensile serrated flow caused by Portevin-Lechatelier (PL) effect was compared with that of the resistance heating specimens. Such rapid heating specimen is also showing larger critical onset strain in the tensile serrated flow (epsilon c), suggests that the rapid heating process could offer a higher concentration on solution solutes. Hardness and tensile strength data indicated an increasing aging effect, the higher concentration of Mg and Si solid solution also lead to a shorter limiting T4/T6 process duration of A6082 aluminum alloy. A significantly shorter heat treatment time to achieve peak hardness (HRB73) without deterioration of tensile strength. The concentration of rapid heat solution was investigated using SEM and TEM, and the above results should be related to the attractive interaction between silicon and magnesium solutes since the onset strain of tensile serrated flow increases with the increasing heating rate.