A HOMOGENIZATION TREATMENT STUDY FOR TWIN ROLL CAST 3003 AND 8006 ALUMINUM ALLOYS

High solidification rates in twin roll casting of aluminum alloys result in concentration gradients through the thickness having a supersaturated microstructure with very fine grains at the surface. Homogenization treatment is usually applied at higher gauges in order to remove those microstructural gradients. Current study is aimed at optimizing our homogenization treatment for twin roll cast (TRC) 3003 and 8006 aluminum alloys by applying a series of homogenization temperatures between 520 and 580 degrees C at different holding times. Surfaces and through thickness microstructure of the specimens were investigated under optical and scanning electron microscope (SEM) and the mechanical properties were discussed accordingly. It is found that required microstructural transformations cannot be completed if temperature and time combination of homogenization treatment is not sufficient enough, even after following thermomechanical processing. This, in turn, results in anisotropy in mechanical properties, which causes poor deep drawability and earing formation.