Study of the mechanical properties of heat treated 6063 aluminum alloy

Aluminum alloy has an extensive range of industrial applications due to its consistent mechanical properties and structural integrity. Aluminum alloy 6063 was given various heat treatment on the solution treatment, artificial aging & natural aging. The study, also outlining recent patents, has been conducted on the mechanical properties upon agehardening treatment to the mentioned alloy. The mechanical properties, namely tensile properties were investigated according to standard procedures. Different heat treatment processes have been applied to reduce the cost of heat treatment of aluminum alloy by optimizing the solution heat treatment process. Two different annealing processes showed that the aluminum alloy did not significantly strengthen. The highest mechanical properties have been achieved by considering the artificial ageing heat treatment process. © 2010 Bentham Science Publishers Ltd.